Close Enough
by EricFancier
Summary: Eric lingers after the werewolf attack, Sookie closes the door... and they are both weak. This is my version of season 3, with focus on the vamps and lots of yummy E/S goodness. Multiple POV's, but no repeated scenes. Starts at the beginning of S3E03.
1. The opposite of reason

Close Enough

It was a strange thought, and it snuck up on Sookie before she even realized it, fluttering at the back of her mind like a moth in the dark. The moonlight was seeping onto the porch, hitting Eric's shoulders, framing his face and she thought _close enough. The way they were standing, he was close enough to kiss. _She quickly crossed her arms, shaking it off like she might have done to a bad memory or a foolish vapor. She was a mess, she decided, her heartbeat still irate from her being raided by a werewolf, firing a gun for the first time in her life and then burying the same werewolf only a short walk away. You would think that something like that would be enough excitement for at least a week or two, but Sookie knew better. She had only begun to unravel the trouble Bill was in, and she was going to get involved, no matter what. Eric had just declined her request to come with her to Jackson, not to her surprise. He had made it abundantly clear in what regard he held Bill, but Sookie couldn't shake the feeling that it was something else holding him back as well. She looked at him standing there, blood-soaked but still somehow managing to look stunning, trying and failing for the hundredth time to wrap her head around him. He would be of no help to her with this. Unless…

"If I do get in some kind of trouble, you'll feel it, right?" she said.

Eric nodded slowly. Although the sting of frustration was still there, Sookie felt almost reassured. After tonight, Eric actually seemed to be genuine in his efforts to protect her, and having a bond to him maybe wasn't such a bad thing…

"I feel something from you right now." Eric said, looking intently at her.

Sookie wrinkled her brow, wondering if a snide remark was in its place, but Eric was quicker.

"That you could really use some company."

His voice was without mockery, just as if stating the obvious. Sookie dropped her gaze to the floor. She hadn't had time to think about it, but as Eric said it, there was no denying that he was right. She was too anxious to sleep, eat or do anything at all, and to have someone around for a while… Sookie looked up at Eric again, resolutely taking a few steps back towards the door.

"I'll be fine, thank you." she said. "You can go."

Eric was in no hurry to leave though. He stood there, hands in pockets, holding her in his icy blue gaze. Sookie thought that she could always just turn around and slam the door in his face, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Not after he just saved her life, with a bullet in his chest that she had put there. She kicked herself inwardly at her inability to decide whether she had an angel or a devil on her doorstep. A smile played in the corner of the blonde vampire's mouth as he cocked his head slightly. The blood on his chin gave him an almost sinister look.

"Sookie… you know me." he said. "I'm a gentleman."

"You're a _viking_." Sookie snorted, raising her eyebrows.

Eric's smile didn't fade, but Sookie thought she saw a strange shadow fall over his face. When she tilted her head, it was gone, and Eric chuckled softly.

"I admit I've been a bad boy in the past…" he said. "…but I wouldn't do anything to you that you didn't want me to do. There is no fun in that."

Sookie didn't completely succeed in suppressing a grin. He was absolutely despicable. There were no alterations with him, no attempt whatsoever to hide his intentions. She was at loss of words, the sudden thickness of the night air brimming in her lungs. Eric gave a short nod and turned around, watching her over his shoulder as he started to walk away.

"Well then, if you are certain… goodnight." he said.

The words flew out of Sookie's mouth without asking permission from her brain.

"Eric, wait…!"

He halted, raising one eyebrow in forged surprise. She eyed him, tightening the grip of her arms across her chest just a little bit. The chirping of the crickets was almost deafening now.

"You can come in and get cleaned up, that's it."

"Okay." Eric smiled.

If he felt some kind of triumph he did nothing to show it. He merely walked up to her, his tall figure casting its shade on her as she held up the door. Sookie watched him as he went inside, with the lingering sense that she might just have done something very stupid, although she didn't really know what it was. She closed the door behind them with her eyes still on Eric's back.

"I hope you realize that I can kick you out on your ass whenever I feel like it." she said, fiddling with the handle. It badly needed to be switched out, as so many other things in her house.

"Believe me, I do."

Eric was looking at the floor but Sookie didn't grasp why until she nearly tripped in the puddle of werewolf-blood on the carpet. It had soaked in real good, and there was a smear of it on the floorboard from where Eric had dragged the body.

"Sorry about that." he said.

"Yeah…" Sookie sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "The bathroom's through there."

She gestured towards the hallway.

"Can I call for you if I need any help?" Eric said velvety, his eyes gleaming.

Sookie only grimaced and waved him off. He smirked and sauntered down the hall as if he was a king in a castle. Sookie shook her head, only to catch a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror on the wall. She had a dumb expression plastered all over her face and she fixed it immediately with an annoyed groan. Something was very wrong with her, that much was clear. Maybe all the recent slaughtering combined with never having time to breathe had started to take its toll. Sookie stared at the blood-stained carpet as she took off her sneakers. She had lost count on how many times she had cleaned it, and she decided then and there to just let it dry and then throw it out. There had to be one final straw to everything. Instead, she walked into the living room. The old dresser by the window had a stack of Jason's shirts in it. She pulled out the top drawer and let her fingers slide against the washed-out fabrics. Her brother was as brawny as he was featherbrained, but she doubted that any of his shirts would fit Eric. Eric was much taller and his shoulders broader, his arms more massive… Sookie felt her cheeks redden. She could imagine Bill's reaction if he knew where Eric was right now, and it wasn't pretty. The thought of Bill sent a jolt of worry and guilt through her. She stroked the ring on her finger as if she could somehow reach to him that way. If only she hadn't rushed from the table like a crazy person that evening, maybe then she wouldn't be in this mess right now! Sookie stared at her reflection in the window. A part of her knew that she probably would have ended up in it anyway, because that was just the way it was with Bill, with vampires in general. Still, she had spent a good ten minutes in that restaurant bathroom before reason had caught up with her. Sookie's fingers stopped moving. _Reason._ That was it. Bill had assured her that he loved her, even if he lied to her sometimes, he could provide for her, and marrying him was the _most reasonable thing to do. _

Sookie grabbed one of the shirts without looking and heaved the drawer shut, but her thoughts were racing now and she couldn't stop them. She loved Bill to bits, but ever since she'd had Eric's blood a painful realization had started to dawn within her. If only a drop of Eric's blood could make her so drawn to him that she couldn't think straight when they were in the same room, how much had then Bill's blood affected her feelings towards him? And the whole marriage thing… she hated to admit it, but Eric had hit a weak spot when he brought it up. It was true, if she married Bill she would eventually grow old and die, he would mourn her of course but then he would be free to meet another. He had lived for more than two hundred years already, and had probably slept with more women than Sookie was comfortable thinking about. She on the other hand, would only have him… for the rest of her life. Could she ignore that fact? Could she ignore… Eric?

Sookie dug her nails into the fabric, glancing out the door towards the hallway. Eric was everything that Bill was not, the opposite of reason. Her first impression of him had been that of a cold-hearted animal, but that wasn't the case anymore, and she suspected that his blood alone could not take the full blame for that. She still saw him as reckless and devious, and the fact the she couldn't predict any of his actions was driving her crazy. Oh God, he was driving her crazy… Sookie closed her eyes as the sudden memory of one of her dreams about him washed over her. His strong hands around her hips, his lips caressing her neck, leaving her weak and aching… She would always have those dreams, and she would always wonder… _Once, _an evil little voice said to her, _you would only have to sleep with him once and then never have to wonder again. _Sookie's eyes flew open. Her face looked strange in the window, her eyes big and every inch of her skin was flustered and throbbing. She tucked the shirt into a bundle in her arms and marched down the hallway. The sooner Eric left, the better.

The bathroom door was open, the faint yellow light flooding out into the hall. Sookie walked slowly up to the doorway, peering inside. She had half expected Eric to greet her with a smirk and some lame joke, but he seemed to be lost in deep thought. He was leaning against the sink with his back against her, his black leather jacket and the ruined t-shirt resting on the edge of the bathtub. He had cleaned his face but the lower part of his chest was still stained with blood. His right hand was too, Sookie observed, and he was looking intently at it, almost as if he was trying to solve some kind of riddle. She frowned, and when Eric raised his head to meet her gaze in the mirror she was caught a little off guard. For a few moments, they said nothing. Then, Eric smiled faintly.

"Are you reading my mind?" he asked her through the mirror.

"You know I can't do that." Sookie said, leaning against the doorframe.

"It's just as well." Eric mumbled, turning on the faucet and placing his hands under the water. "You have seen enough blood today."

Sookie frowned again. The shadow she thought she'd imagined was back on Eric's face, darker now. She stood paralyzed, dazed at just how deeply his close presence affected her. Of course, there was her usual battle to not pay any attention to how sexy he was, something that had become increasingly harder ever since she saw him in all his naked glory down at the Fangtasia basement… but there was something else now too, and it went straight to her chest. Eric was hurting, it was radiating the in the air between them, and she might just have figured out why.

"The werewolves… they took someone from you, didn't they?" Sookie said slowly. "Someone you loved."

It was Eric's turn to be caught off guard. His left hand contracted around the edge of the sink as his whole body froze. He looked up again, into the mirror, into her eyes, his lips slightly parted. His eyes were suddenly piercing and Sookie felt like he was measuring her, measuring her strength. Her heart leapt against her ribcage but she looked back without blinking.

"I would have wished that you'd let it be, for your own sake." Eric said, turning off the faucet. "But that's not going to happen, is it?"

His voice was neither harsh nor soft and Sookie couldn't help but read a tone of alleviation into it.

"You can tell me." she said. "I can take it."

Eric gaze fell upon his hands again and an odd smile, deprived of joy, formed on his lips. His shoulders slanted as he started to speak.

"Godric was the only one who knew, and ever since he left…" Eric paused for a fraction of a second, but Sookie felt the weight of that pause like a rock in the pit of her stomach. "… it's been haunting me more than ever. Operation Werewolf, the wolves we were hunting, the ones that are hunting you now, goes back more than a thousand years. And the reason I know that is because they were the first werewolves I ever saw; on the night they killed my human family..."

Sookie hugged the shirt in her arms tight, her lips parting.

"Eric, I'm sorry…" she whispered.

The blonde vampire was quiet and his eyes had a veiled glow to them, as if he was still trapped in the memory. Sookie's lashes were suddenly damp, her heart heavy like an anchor deep in her chest. She had expected something like this, what she hadn't expected however was her own reaction. She didn't know what to call it. There were no words for it. The only thing she knew was that she needed to get closer to him. Without thinking she was on her feet, leaving the shirt in a heap on the floor and before she even knew it she was behind him, her forehead against his back, her breath ghosting over his skin. The air was so thick that she could have cut it with a knife. He was cold, but she was hot, so hot… her blood was churning, dancing in her veins and she closed her eyes, feeling Eric let out a shallow breath as his fangs emerged. The next thing she knew was the doorframe against her back, Eric's fingers tangled in the small hairs at the nape of her neck as he pressed her against him. Her heartbeats sent tiny ricochets to her mound, she felt Eric's arousal brushing against her hip through his jeans and it was too much… she wanted him too badly…

"Sookie…" Eric groaned into her shoulder, making her gasp. "You know I can't…-"

Her hands were around his neck, her lips trailing his cheek. Their eyes met, Eric's icy blue depths burning, his fangs gleaming in the weak light, and Sookie was on fire.

"Then don't…" she breathed, her world fading as Eric's lips descended upon hers.

The kiss was like a surge of lightning, and she lost herself in the amazing things his mouth was doing to her, his tongue invading her in a way that created an increasingly damper spot in her panties. It was raw and messy, unreasonable, just like in her dreams, only that it was real this time, making it feel ten times more intense… Her moan drowned against Eric's lips as his slender fingers traveled down her stomach, in between her thighs, stroking her aching nether region firmly through her shorts. She bucked against his palm, shivering now, her blood swaying so badly that she didn't notice Eric gently shifting her until she felt the edge of the bathtub beneath her bum. Eric's mouth left her to kiss the pit of her throat instead, and then he was down on his knees, his breath making her nipples harden as he caressed her breasts through the Merlotte t-shirt and Sookie grabbed the edge of the tub with both of her hands for support. Her legs opened up, allowing him entrance as he moved in between them, her thighs resting on his broad, muscular shoulders. She flinched as Eric ripped her shorts clean apart; only to almost tumble on top of him as his searing hot mouth found its way to her moist, lace-covered folds. Sookie threw her head back, her cry bouncing back to them as Eric tasted her, pulling her panties to the side with his fingers to give him access. She tangled her fingers in his blonde strands as he licked her hard and deep, making her soaked and trembling, a low grunt in his throat. She was close enough to beg as he used his free hand to unfasten his jeans, and when his fingers entered her, his tongue stroking her pearl ever so slightly, she couldn't help herself anymore. She looked down, locking her gaze with his. Eric's face was irate with hunger and arousal.

"So fucking beautiful…" he breathed, his voice strained.

"Eric, please…!" Sookie cried, and this time, Eric had mercy.

He pulled her down so that she was straddling him and Sookie clawed at his shoulderblades as he lowered her, at the same time grinding his hips upwards, claiming her with a single true stroke. Sookie's hair spilled over her back, her eyes falling shut as the sensation sent a raw flare of pleasure and pain through her, knocking the air out of her lungs. None of the dreams could have prepared her for this. He was too big, too hard, too perfect… Eric moaned into her hair, his hands locking around her hips, hitting her sweet spot over and over again as he rocked into her. Sookie's breathing came in ragged gasps as they begun a furious rhythm, each of Eric's thrusts sending heavy bursts of pleasure towards her center, and she was beside herself. She had never felt like this… so utterly lost, so immensely complete. One of Eric's hands moved up to her face, stroking her cheek, and she bent her neck, burying her face in his shoulder. His mouth lunged into her neck, his lips enclosing the shallow vein. His fangs sank down and Sookie dug her nails into his back as he hit deeper into her than ever before, sending her orgasm crashing over her, violently, making her contract around him in hard, wet spasms, drawing a high-pitched cry from her lips. She was still shuddering when Eric released her neck, wrapping his arms around her back as he pushed her down one final time, climaxing inside of her with a strangled groan. Sookie was blind and deaf and gasping for air, but she still felt his fingers in her hair, stroking her softly. Then, there were only his strong arms around her as she drifted away.

When she woke up, it had been dawn for a good while. Sookie turned to the side, trying to locate the alarm clock, to no avail. She crawled over to the edge of the bed, wrapping the sheets around herself as she sat up. She had a vague memory of Eric carrying her upstairs, and she could still feel the kiss he had placed on her forehead before he left. Sookie swallowed hard, staring down on her naked knees. Was she ashamed of herself? Yes. Was she going to cry about it? Maybe. Did she regret it? Sookie let her fingers slide against the side of her neck, feeling the puncture wounds from Eric's fangs, her whole body stirring at the memory of him.

_No._


	2. Disturbingly human

**A/N: I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this fic yet, but I thought up this little 'epilogue' of sorts and felt like I needed to include it. Hopefully you agree. I can't promise that there will be any more chapters, but I'll leave it open for now. Enjoy!**

Afterwards, Eric carried Sookie upstairs. She was so light, her golden hair falling softly against the bend of his arm, her warmth pouring over onto his naked skin. Eric cocked his head, watching her lashes quiver slightly against her blushing cheeks. It was curious how something so small and fragile could make him feel this way. He found himself treading as if he was holding a precious glass figurine or a vial containing the most sacred of essences. Her blood was swaying inside of him, churning in his veins, drenching the ancient chill in his bones with its heat. He had finally tasted her, and it had been sweeter than he could've ever imagined, he had had her… but she wasn't his, and for the first time he wasn't sure if she'd ever be. A strange hauling sensation hit him squarely in the chest, almost halting him in his tracks. Eric tightened his hold around Sookie's exhausted body, his lips parting as he climbed the last steps. It was true. With her, he was closer to being human than he'd been for maybe hundreds of years, and he could not decide whether he hated it more than it amazed him.

The bedroom was dark and full of shadows. Eric placed Sookie on the bed and tucked her in, his hands sluggish and uncertain as they were presented with such an unusual task. Then, he sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting. The crimson puncture wounds on Sookie's neck glared against her otherwise flawless skin, condemning him. His first impulse was to heal them using some of his blood, but he quickly changed his mind. He wanted Bill to know, and in that way force him to show his true nature, drag it out into the open. He wanted the nest of lies that he had trapped Sookie in to crack and crumble to dust. He wanted him to burn for keeping her from him. Eric suddenly noticed that he was digging his clenched fist into the sheets. A faint sneer appeared on his lips. _Jealousy. _What a lowly feeling, so unworthy of him, and yet here it was, coursing through him like liquid fire. He envisioned Godric, arms crossed, smirking and shaking his head at his child. All those years, and he still hadn't learned.

The dawn was approaching. Eric didn't have to search the skies for that brimming edge of light blue through the window anymore. At his age the dawn was a state of mind. His eyes rested steadily on Sookie, watching her chest rise and fall again in an endless rhythm. He should be going. He had to. The mattress creaked slightly as he bent down, grazing her forehead with his lips. Her smell was intoxicating, sending an echo of the raw pleasure they had shared just moments ago through him, and Eric had to resist the urge to just take her in his arms, press her against him, stroke her and kiss her and make her whimper his name until it was the only thing on her mind. He drew back, stirring when he noticed that her eyes were now open. Their auburn glow had a slight haze to it, as if she was watching him through a dream. However, they expressed no resentment. No regret. Silently, Eric stroked the back of his hand against Sookie's cheek to keep himself from losing it, keeping himself from destroying everything.

"You know where to find me." he whispered.

Sookie's lips parted a tiny fraction, as if she wanted to say something. But the moment had passed and instead she just nodded slightly. Her eyes closed again, her lips brushing against Eric's palm as she drifted away once more. He lingered for a moment, making sure that she was asleep. Then, he was on his feet, ignoring the foolish wish that wanted to anchor him in the room with her, dawn or not.

It wasn't until he felt the cold wind against his face that he realized how fast he was running. Sookie's blood was throbbing, vibrating, throwing itself against his ribcage, almost resembling a heartbeat - and all of a sudden he was once more the warrior, chasing through the landscape, running like he'd never ran before. The battle, however, was not over. Eric fixed his eyes on the brightening sky as he took off towards Fangtasia.

She would come for him.

_She had to_.


	3. Never no more

Sookie stood completely motionless in the hallway, her gaze lost among the shadows outside the window. Her heartbeats were shallow and erratic. She had put out all the lights and tied her laces. It had been dark for two full hours, so it wasn't the sunset that she was waiting for. Truth to be told, if someone had asked her then and there what it was that held her back, she wouldn't have been able to give them an answer. The bag was behind her on the floor, zipped up and ready to go. She hadn't been sure what to pack when setting out to infiltrate a bunch of werewolves in order to save your vampire fiancé, so in the end she had just thrown things in at random. It had taken most of her day to sort everything out and gather her thoughts. She had been trying, at least. It was three nights since Bill had gone missing, and one night since she had lost her mind in Eric's arms. Sookie closed her eyes and sighed. She wanted so badly to remember it like a vague blur, like it had been a dream, because that would have made it easier to brush off. Instead, she remembered each and every detail of what had happened in overwhelming clarity. Eric's touch was still on her skin, his urgent kisses still burning on her lips, the inconceivable pleasure he'd granted her rendering her weak each time her thoughts ventured too close to the memory. It had been a mistake to invite him inside in the first place. But how could she have known that losing her mind would feel that good? How could she have known that sleeping with Eric would only fuel her desire for him instead of diminishing it?

Sookie cursed quietly under her breath. She needed to focus. What happened between her and Eric had been real and it had affected her more deeply than she would admit, but it would surely pass. Bill was the one that she loved, he was in danger and he needed her help. She was going to kick as much werewolf ass as she needed to in order to get to him. He would have done the same thing for her. The most ironic thing about the whole situation however, was the fact that Eric was helping her to find Bill. He had texted her two hours ago at sunset, telling her that there would be a werewolf named Alcide waiting to meet up with her once she got to Jackson, and that he would be her ticket into the were community. The text had ended with him wishing her good luck, yet another thing that Sookie found very unlike the Eric she had been so convinced that she knew. She had been tempted to answer but couldn't for her life figure out what to say, so she had just let it be. The shadows outside the window seemed to grow longer by the minute. It was time for her to go. Sookie took the bag, went outside and locked the door. It was a cool night for once and she had a long drive ahead of her. Maybe Bill would even understand, she thought dimly as she walked up to the car. After all, he – being a vampire and all – should be able to comprehend the power such an old vampire's blood could have… she could always blame the blood. Sookie was just about to get into the car when her cellphone rang. She leaned against the door, fishing it up from her pocket. Her heart skipped a beat as she read the display. It was Bill.

-.-.-.-

"That red-headed prima donna needs to get her titties untwisted."

Eric shot her a glance as she emerged from behind the bar, but Pam could tell that he wasn't listening much. The Queen had just departed, leaving Fangtasia deserted with the exception of the staff, on a night that was supposed to be their busiest in months. Pam had been confided to the backrooms as Sophie-Anne and Eric had their little talk, but she had excellent hearing. Eric sat in one of the chairs by the stripper pole he had just been so disgracefully pushed up against. His elbow was leaning sternly on the nearest tabletop and Pam knew that he felt the pressure that was looming over them just as much as she did, if not more.

"We need an alternate location for the blood, and we need it tonight." he said, staring at something far away.

Pam crossed her arms. "If we drop the price to an appalling level, we should be able to get rid of it in a few nights…" she said.

"No." Eric interjected, rising from the chair. "There is no time for that. The Magistrate is onto us and Sophie-Ann is getting desperate. She will jump at the first chance to sell us out in order to get him out of her hair. If the blood is here when they show up, we are fucked."

"Royally…" Pam sneered. Eric only raised his eyebrows at her as he walked up to the bar, but the tension in the air had started to subside and Pam was pleased.

"Ginger…?" she asked, and Eric nodded shortly.

Pam called for her with a tone in her voice that would make anyone get the chills. Barely even a few seconds passed before the bleach-blonde barmaid barged into the room with the dumbstruck expression that was her signature. She was wearing a black tank top paired with leather leggings and, in honor of the evening, sloppy dark makeup.

"Ginger, darling…" Pam said, an amiable smile on her lips. "Eric and I need you to store a secret package for us at your apartment, just for a week or so."

"Oh, okay…" Ginger said, smiling blankly at them. "What's in it?"

Both Eric and Pam gave her such deadpan stares that she gulped and quickly excused herself. The blonde vampires watched dully as she scooted towards the backrooms again to continue with the preparations. She was only just smart enough to know her own good.

"One too many glamours…" Pam mused, shaking her head slowly. She turned to Eric. "Shall I call off the concert?"

"No…" Eric sighed. "We need to continue as if nothing is bothering us. Besides, we need the income until I can get us out of this mess. I'm putting you in charge of getting the rats back into the cage."

Pam smiled slyly. The "rats" were her and Eric's not so affectionate nickname for the patrons of Fangtasia. They had hired a local, overhyped gothband to play at the club at midnight and she should have very little trouble luring the crowd back in. She would just send out some of the dancers and make them tempt with free drinks. The basic procedure. The city was buzzing tonight and the club would likely be jam-packed in no time at all.

"I'm on it." she said.

Eric nodded and started to walk across the room towards his office. Pam watched his back as she leaned against the desk.

"Since we're on the subject; getting screwed and all…" she smiled. "How was she?"

Eric turned to look at her, a delicate curl appearing in the corner of his mouth. They hadn't talked about it, and Pam had been busy ravishing Yvetta when Eric returned the previous night, just at the break of dawn. Though, he had been positively reeking of Sookie and wore an uncanny look on his face that could only have meant one thing. He hadn't been able to hide it from Pam even if he had tried. She continued to smile as she rested her chin in her palms. Eric seemed to hesitate slightly before answering, but it only lasted for a fraction of a second and Pam wasn't sure if she'd imagined it or not.

"She was excellent..." he said, his mouth smirking but his gaze strangely vacant.

"You realize that you're going to have to share her at some point, don't you?" Pam grinned.

But Eric had already turned his direction to the office again, and only granted her a short chuckle that Pam translated into 'when hell freezes over' or something in that line. She sighed as Eric closed the door behind him and turned her attention to the tasks at hand. Her high heels pattered across the wooden floor as she went further into the club to locate the dancers. She had known Eric for over a century and had long ago lost count on the number of beautiful breathers that had crossed their path, each and every one of them falling into Eric's possession, gladly letting him consume them. This, however, was not the current case. It was something that permeated Eric's posture, his entire way of acting. Pam didn't understand it, yet she felt it like a strange, restless flicker on the bond.

Somehow, Sookie was different.

-.-.-.-

A faint crash came from the kitchen followed by Arlene's high-pitched curses, but Sookie hardly even reacted. Her sore eyes were fixed on the untouched Gin&Tonic in front of her, though in truth she wasn't looking at anything at all. She had been bawling her eyes out for half-an-hour or so before she decided that she couldn't stand to be alone anymore and headed down to Merlotte's. She found that Sam had left on a spontaneous roadtrip, leaving Arlene, Terry and Lafayette to fend for the bar along with a new waitress that she had never seen before. The place was a mess, but then again, so was she. Sookie felt her chest cringing with each breath, as if her lungs were filled with tiny shards of glass. The supposed love of her life had just dumped her, and it was bad. He had said so many hurtful things to her and she hadn't believed him at first, but he had coldly repeated them until she did. Lorena… he was with Lorena. Sookie felt her temples burning but she had no tears left. Maybe it was true what everyone had been trying to tell her from the start. Maybe it had been stupid to believe that there could be anything even remotely close to love between a vampire and a human…

"It's good to have you back, Sookie dear."

Sookie looked up to meet Arlene's gaze from behind the bar. She was loading a tray with beer and when Sookie frowned she tilted her head, looking at her as if she was child who had just scratched their knee.

"I mean, you're through with the vamps now, right? Just look at all the misery they've brought you, poor thing. They're just plain evil, I'm sorry to say it, but it's true."

Sookie didn't even have to read Arlene's mind to hear her poorly masked contentment and she had to resist the urge to blurt out something toxic in response. In her own way, Arlene was just trying to be nice. Sookie faked a small smile to get rid of her and Arlene returned it, seeming pleased. Sookie was immensely grateful that she was busy holding the beer, otherwise she might just have patted her on the head.

"Plain old Sookie, that's what we like."

Arlene marched off with the full tray, winking cheerily at Sookie over the edge of her shoulder. Sookie stared dully at her, feeling her heart sink. No matter how hard she or anyone else wanted it, plain old Sookie didn't exist anymore. Her life would never be the same. Before the vampires came along, she had been bored, daydreaming and secretly wishing for something exiting to happen to her. Go figure. Sookie sighed, letting her gaze wander over the bar and its guests. It was the same guests as yesterday and every day before that, same thoughts circling in the same narrow tracks. She suddenly realized just how little she belonged here now. Her blood would never be pure and innocent like theirs again. Not after… Sookie realized something else. She was resting her neck in the palm of her left hand, and she had been absentmindedly stroking the puncture wounds from Eric's fangs with her fingers through the scarf that hid them ever since she sat down at the bar. Sookie closed her eyes, breathing in as a wave of heat coursed through her, sending a trickle down her spine. She hesitated for one, maybe two seconds before she rose and walked out the front doors, reaching down into her pocket for the cellphone.

Sookie leaned against the wall beneath one of the lanterns, making sure that she was out of earshot. The noises of the bar were all but drenched by the crickets and the parking lot was completely deserted. She dialed the number, her hand not trembling the least as she put the phone to her ear, though the same thing could not be said about her heart. A few signals went through before Eric answered, and the first thing she heard was loud music that was abruptly cut off as a door closed behind him.

"Good evening, Sookie."

Eric's voice was like dark velvet and she could not help but lose herself in it briefly before she snapped back to reality. _God damn it Sookie, get a grip._ She marveled for a moment at the intense feeling of having him right next to her although it was a simple phone call. Was it the blood that did that? She didn't know.

"Hey…" Sookie said, forcing her voice to be straight. "You sound a little off, are you alright?"

The irony of her asking _him_ something like that in the state she was in was blatant, but Sookie heard him sigh shortly, confirming her hunch.

"A lot of things happening all at once, that's all." he said. "And you? Alcide is treating you well I hope, for his own sake."

"Yeah, about that…" Sookie said, staring at her sneakers. "You can call him off. Seeing as Bill dumped me, there is no need for me to go to Jackson after all."

She didn't completely succeed in keeping her tone neutral this time, and Eric's brief silence told her that he noticed.

"Sookie…" he said, his voice now lower and laced with something that she could not define.

Her heart was fluttering madly against her ribcage, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts, but they all boiled down to one thing. _It wasn't enough_. She cleared her throat and raised her head.

"Are you guys open tonight?" she said.

"Yes…" Eric answered slowly.

"Good." Sookie said. "See you soon."

She hung up before Eric had a chance to reply.

-.-.-.-

* * *

**A/N: Well what do you know; a multichapter fic! I seldom do these because my lack of patience, but you guys have been so supportive and encouraging that I just couldn't let it go. I have the next chapter all planned out (it will be saucy as hell) and I will keep them around 2.5 k words each from now on. I'm going to try and follow the season 3 storyline and be canon, with massive emphasis on the E/S of course. I have a question for you though; how about the multiple POV's? Are they confusing or do they work? Please do tell me what you think so far, good and bad. Lots of love, EF.**


	4. Dance the night away

The small Bon Temps road was quiet and peaceful, the rumble of Sookie's car the only thing upsetting the stillness. The moonlight illuminated the windscreen, turning her features sharp and her skin pale. If she had looked up to see her reflection in the rear view mirror, the look in her eyes might have startled her a bit, but her entire attention was directed onto the road. It had taken her less than twenty minutes to rush home from Merlotte's, change clothes and take off into the night. She wore the silky, black surplice dress that she had gotten several months ago but never found an occasion for until now. Her hair was collected into a loose knot using a couple of bronze hairpins. She had exchanged the navy-blue scarf for a scarlet one that rested softly but firmly around her neck. Given some thought, that choice of color would probably work as an invitation rather than a spurn where she was heading, but Sookie surprised herself by not thinking much at all. She had left the engagement ring on the kitchen table and her hand had felt naked at first, but since she had not been wearing it for long to begin with the sensation had soon subsided. The song on the car radio, the open road, everything around her seemed to agree with her intentions and Sookie immersed herself in the strong, almost physical pull that drew her towards Fangtasia, erasing all common sense as it surged through her, turning her mind blank. The only thing she knew for sure was that her blood was crying, calling for Eric, and no matter how questionable it might seem to anyone other than her, she was going to heed that call.

She turned left at the intersection, and before she knew it, the Compton residence appeared before her through the trees. Her plan had been to speed past it, but she found herself pushing the brakes, making gravel cascade around the tires. She watched the building silently from the safe distance. The lights were on, tinting the porch in a warm glow. Sookie's gaze fell upon one of the huge windows and the shape of a woman moving behind the curtains. _Jessica. _She had no idea what had happened, and she was stuck inside that old dusty house all alone… A lump of guilt lodged itself in Sookie's throat. There was a good chance that Bill would return here sooner or later, but as it was now, Sookie didn't know if he had contacted Jessica at all, and somehow she doubted it. She stared at the dashboard for a short while before she started driving along the sweep, up towards the house.

The clear chime of the doorbell seemed to echo though the house. A few moments passed before Jessica appeared behind the small window next to the door, peering out suspiciously as if she was expecting someone unpleasant. As she saw Sookie she broke out into a smile and opened the door without hesitation. She looked so out of place, her brightly printed t-shirt contrasting heavily against the age worn walls in the hallway.

"Hey Sookie." she said as she leaned against the doorframe. "Nice dress."

"Hi." Sookie said, forcing herself to look at least a little bit cheerful. "And thanks."

"Bill hasn't called me yet." Jessica continued, her smile fading somewhat as she was preparing for Sookie's disappointment.

"I figured as much." Sookie replied, shaking her head softly. "He called me though. We broke up."

Jessica frowned as Sookie held up her empty left hand.

"But… why?" she asked, her eyes big with surprise.

"I'm not really sure, to be honest." Sookie sighed. "Wherever he ended up, he met with his maker, slept with her and then decided that it would be better for both of us if we didn't see each other anymore."

"That slimy bastard…!" Jessica spat, causing Sookie to flinch slightly at the harshness of her tone. She noticed and produced a crooked half-smile. "I'm sorry, but that's just bullshit."

Sookie could only silently agree. She watched Jessica, musing over her obvious potential to grow into a vampire that no one dared to mess with. She was unsure if Bill would be the one to teach her that though. Sookie herself had a huge part in him not having time to spend with Jessica, but she was furious at him for leaving her hanging like this without a clue of his whereabouts. Right now he was not only a slimy bastard, but a lousy maker as well.

"He's somewhere in Jackson from what I've found out, but I have no idea if or when he plans to come back." Sookie said. "Will you be alright here by yourself?"

Jessica stood silent for a while before she nodded. It occurred to Sookie that it might have been a long time since anyone asked her that question.

"Yeah." she said, smiling weakly. "It's really not that bad, and I'm kind of used to it anyways."

It was probably true, but it didn't stop Sookie from feeling strongly about it.

"I was going out tonight." she said. "Do you want to come?"

"Sookie…" Jessica said, her expression turning devilish as if she had just heard the best gossip of her lifetime. "Are you on the rebound?"

Sookie was a little taken aback by the question. She had never been dumped before, and if this was how it felt…

"I don't know, Jess." she said. "All I know is that I don't want to think about Bill right now."

"That's fine by me." Jessica replied, her face lighting up. "Let me just find something to wear. And don't just stand there, please come in!"

Sookie nodded and stepped into the hallway as Jessica started running up the stairs, not unlike a kid on Christmas morning, her red hair whipping around her shoulders. She noticed that the foul smell that had been looming over the house at her last visit was gone and replaced with the regular scent of dust and old furniture. Sookie threw a glance at the living room, her gaze resting for a while on the spot in front of the fireplace where she had lost her virginity to Bill. It seemed like it had happened a hundred years ago or more.

"Where are we going?" Jessica called from upstairs.

"Fangtasia!" Sookie called back, as casually as she could.

Jessica's girly shriek of utter joy bounced between the walls, and for the first time that night, Sookie smiled for real.

It was a little past midnight when they had parked the car on a Shreveport backstreet and were heading towards their goal by foot. The city was simmering with lights and sounds, so different from Bon Temps that it was like stepping into another world. Jessica was bouncy and giggly by Sookie's side, and Sookie couldn't stop a slight elation from rising inside of her. She had just barely been able to stop Jessica from putting on the shortest skirt that she owned, but with her fishnets and skimpy leather jacket she still looked dangerously sexy. Sookie had no clue where she had gotten such clothes, given that Bill would have rather died than buying something like that for her. They turned the last corner and were instantly met by the sight of a massive crowd lining up outside the vampire club. Prominent music was pumping out through the doors, mixing with the chatter and laughter. A big poster was plastered across one of the walls, announcing a live performance in bold black letters.

"Man, look at all these people…!" Jessica said in awe, her eyes darting across the crowd.

Sookie cocked her head to try and determine where the line started, but before she could do that, Pam caught her gaze from the entrance. She motioned for them to approach, loosening one of the red velvet ropes that marked the queue to make room for them to enter. Two huge male vampires that Sookie didn't recognize were guarding the door, only letting people in when others came out, and Pam coolly supervised the operation. As Jessica and Sookie walked up to her, she greeted them with one of her sly trademark smiles. In her glossy vinyl clubwear, she was a vision of studious wickedness.

"It seems our VIP-guests have arrived." she said. "Enjoy your evening, ladies."

Pam looked Sookie over from head to toe as she spoke, much like she always did, but the lesbian innuendo that Sookie had gotten used to never came. Sookie silently wondered exactly what Eric had been telling her, and how. Pam gestured for them to go inside, and with appreciative nods, they did. A few of the patrons close to the door made complaining sounds, but Pam ignored them completely.

"Oh, and Babydoll…" she called over her shoulder, towards Jessica. "Keep it in your pants."

Sookie frowned at this but Jessica nodded sharply with a meek smile as if she knew precisely what Pam was talking about. Sookie was going to question her about it, but she soon got other things to think about.

Fangtasia had undergone a small transformation. Most of the chairs and tables had been removed to create a dance floor at the far end of the big room. Where Eric's throne used to be was now instead an elevated stage, housing a four-member band all dressed in black. The floor in front of them was filled with dancing people, the ones closest to the stage chiming in with the sultry female singer. There was no longer any clear distinction between vampires and humans, the crowd was that vast. The bar was the only spot in the club that currently wasn't that busy and the two of them went over there, easing themselves in between the groups of guests. After some persuasion from Jessica, Sookie ordered a glass of red wine for herself along with a heated Tru Blood for her. While Jessica was busy ogling the band, Sookie sipped on her wine, her gaze on a silent journey across the room. She couldn't see Eric anywhere, but she had the distinct feeling that he was close by. Her body was yelling for her to go look for him, but for the time being, her mind was still in control. She was not going to run after him like a common fangbanger. After all, she still had some dignity left. The song that had been playing when they entered came to an end, and the whole club went wild with cheering and applause. As the first few notes of the next song rose from the speakers, a sudden spark lit inside of Jessica's eyes.

"Oh my god, I love this song…! Sookie, come on!"

Sookie had barely time to react before Jessica grabbed her arm and started pulling her towards the crowd. She quickly realized that any resistance would be futile and downed the wine, placing the glass at one of the remaining tables as they passed it. Within a heartbeat, Jessica had found them a free spot right in the middle of the dance floor. Shortly thereafter Sookie was dancing alongside her, smiling broadly, completely defeated by her enthusiasm. She could not remember the last time she had been out dancing with a friend, without a care in the world, and she allowed herself to get carried away by the music, the wine she had drunk mixing with her flaring anticipation. Another song came and went, and they were still dancing, fusing with the frantic mass of jerking bodies. After a while Sookie turned to Jessica, only to find her with her arms around the neck of a dark-haired youth close to her height. With the busy setting, the paleness of their skin was the only thing immediately revealing that they were both vampires. Jessica's partner was looking deep into her eyes, one of his hands gently caressing her back, and Sookie was pretty sure that she would have blushed if she had been able to. They looked so perfect together, their movements aligned and innate, dancing close to each other like they had never done anything else. _Like only two vampires can._ Sookie closed her eyes and turned away as Bill's cold words rang in her head. She was not going to think more about it. Not tonight. She kept on dancing as if nothing had fazed her, losing herself in the erratic tones and the heavy beat of the bass that lodged itself inside her chest, echoing her heartbeat. When Eric came up behind her, her eyes were still closed, and she gasped as his hands locked around her hips, his lips softly trailing the shell of her ear.

-.-.-.-

Over by the door, Pam was witnessing a strange sight indeed. She had been watching the band's scrumptious singer and was in the midst of thinking up a dirty scheme involving her when Eric appeared in the center of the dance floor. It took her less than a second to realize that he had gone for Sookie, and so far there were no surprises. What surprised Pam was what happened next. She cocked her head as she watched the two of them entwine, Eric's hands around Sookie's waist as he started to _dance_ with her. Soon, the crowd had opened up to make room for them and the attention they attracted threatened to outweigh that of the band. Pam frowned. This was highly unusual. There had never been any shortness of girls willing to supply Eric with blood and sex, and he had neither the need nor wish to pursue them for it. As a sheriff, he had an image to uphold, an image of detachment and a cold inaccessibility that served to heighten his reverence, to empower him in the eyes of the outsiders. But now, he had descended among them to get to Sookie, as if he didn't care about any of that. Almost as if… _No. _Pam shook her head without being entirely conscious about it. _It couldn't be…_

-.-.-.-

The music had changed from heavy and eccentric to a low-key, raspy ballad. If Sookie had paid any attention to the lyrics, she would have interpreted them as describing toxic love; the kind of love that ripped you apart and therefore was the truest. Eric's grip around her hips flooded her lower body with heat and she leaned into his touch, her lashes quivering. She did not have to open her eyes to know that it was him; the way her blood was suddenly aching instead of throbbing dully told her everything she needed to know.

"Sookie…" he mouthed against her ear, and she turned around to face him.

Eric didn't appear to have dressed up for the concert. He wore his usual black jeans paired with a black t-shirt that hugged his shoulders a little too tight to leave Sookie unbothered. His hair looked soft and was not as immaculately done as it used to be, a few blonde strands falling over his pale brow. His light blue eyes were piercing through the smoky dimness of the club, and his gaze was roaming over Sookie in a way that once would have made her feel exposed, almost violated. But not anymore. Sookie placed her arms around Eric's back, feeling his muscles flex as he moved them through the music.

"You look absolutely edible." Eric said, the curl of his lips emphasizing his devious words.

"Tell me something I don't already know." Sookie replied, relishing the way Eric momentarily seemed to lose his arrogant composure.

He tightened his hold around her hips just enough to make her feel it, and Sookie put her forehead against his chest as he leaned in to touch her cheek with his lips. She could feel a hundred female eyes staring at them, undoubtedly wishing that they were in her place, and it would have been a lie to suggest that a part of her didn't enjoy it.

"How about …" Eric said close to her ear, his fingers slowly stroking her lower back, the small motion making her shiver in spite of the fabric between them, "… the fact that I haven't been able to get that bathroom of yours out of my head? Pam is seriously starting to worry about me."

Sookie's heart leapt against her ribcage. Was this Eric's way of telling her that what happened between them had meant something deeper to him? She looked up at him, trying as so many times before to break through his icy gaze, to get behind it. Eric's expression gave away nothing. She couldn't read him, and it annoyed her and captivated her at the same time. However, their mutual attraction did not need to be deciphered. It was magnetic, setting her veins on fire, and as their bodies brushed together it was only by pure willpower that Sookie managed to keep a straight face. Maybe she had been fighting it so hard because she on some level had known all along that it would besiege her like this…

"Now you tell me," Eric said, looking intently at her, "what could possibly have possessed Bill to make such a stupid decision?"

Sookie sighed softly.

"He's had this great epiphany, in which he realized that all vampire-human relations are doomed from the start." she said. Oddly enough, talking about Bill didn't hurt quite as much with Eric's arms around her. "But what do I know? He was too busy nailing Lorena to even bother coming here to tell me."

She had expected a sarcastic comment from Eric, or at least a cunning smile. But Eric remained silent. He caught a strand of her hair that had escaped as she danced between his fingers, stroking her cheek gently. Sookie felt her blood surfacing to meet with his touch.

"He hasn't got a clue…" Eric said slowly, his gaze more unreadable than ever. "Not the faintest idea…"

His big palm descended at the back of her neck, and Sookie closed her eyes, her fingers pulling slightly at Eric's shirt as his lips caressed her temple, her chin, and then… Eric pushed the scarf aside, his mouth closing over the puncture wounds and Sookie's whimper was just barely drenched by the music. He kissed her there, stroking her bruised skin with his hot wet tongue, sending images from the night before crashing over Sookie, making the action so much more obscene than it really was… Sookie gasped, tugging at Eric's waist as each twist of his tongue sent searing shivers to her thighs. Their lower bodies aligned, and she felt Eric's fingers tangle in her hair as he brushed against her, hard like a rock. Sookie pressed her aching mound against him, making him release her neck, groaning as his fangs emerged. Her panties were already slick with her wetness, clinging to her throbbing folds and she could not take it anymore. Her eyes flew open as she frantically tried to locate Jessica, but she was nowhere to found among the mass of moving bodies.

"Pam is keeping an eye on her…" Eric mumbled, as if he had read her mind. His gaze was feverish, and the strain in his voice told Sookie that he was just as impatient as she was.

"Then get us out of here, before I do something very inappropriate…-" Sookie breathed, surprising herself with the fact that she was still able to form a coherent sentence.

Eric didn't need to be told twice. The next thing Sookie knew was her thighs around his waist as he scooped her up, pressing her against him, her painfully erect nipples pushing into his muscular chest as they moved through the crowd at an unnatural speed. The door to Eric's office slammed shut behind them and her feet were on the floor, her arms wrapped around his neck as she kissed him with all her longing, all her pent up desire. Eric answered her with a regulate assault, invading her harshly and gently at the same time, his fangs grazing but never piercing her abused lips, making all of her blood pool at the swollen pearl between her legs. Sookie's heart was irate with the sheer force of her lust, a ragged moan surfacing in her lungs, drowning against Eric's eager mouth. He released her briefly to remove his shirt, but as he started to tear at her dress Sookie pushed him back against the wall, succeeding only because she took him by surprise. His cold eyes were ablaze with arousal, his lips parted to bare his fangs as Sookie kneeled, tugging his jeans open on her way down. She had a brief moment to reflect over his impressive, delicious size before her patience faded and she took him into her mouth, lowering her wet, wanting lips onto his engorged flesh. She felt a shiver traveling through Eric, his hips pushing forward as his back arched against the wall. Sookie grasped the base of his throbbing shaft and started moving promptly, stroking him with firm flickers of her tongue, and one of Eric's hands tangled in her hair, a strangled foreign curse escaping him. Doing this to Eric made Sookie wetter than she could ever remember being and she found herself pressing her thighs together, desperate for friction. She had done it with Bill once or twice, but he had never been fond of such activities and preferred to get straight to business. But this was Eric, and there was no comparison. The way it made her feel made her want to do it for hours, but she was too weak… She needed him to fuck her too badly…

She released him, panting, her lips moist. She looked up at him but had barely time to meet his gaze before he seized her shoulders, pulling her up. Her hips connected firmly with the edge of the desk that Eric had pushed her into, pinning her there with his weight. Sookie had to use both of her hands to support herself against the tabletop, her frantic movement causing papers and various articles to fall to the floor, but Eric was too busy pushing up her skirt and pulling down her panties to even notice. His ragged breath hit Sookie's shoulder that had been bared as the dress slid down and Sookie moaned out loud as he moved in between her thighs, pushing the tip of his erect manhood along her slick folds, sliding it against her aching clit. She bit her lip, her whole body rejoicing, but what she craved the most didn't come. Instead of entering her, Eric just rubbed his shaft against her, their juices mingling, sending agonizing flares of pleasure to her center. Sookie tried to move, her cheeks red with frustration, but Eric held her down with one arm around her waist, preventing her.

"Eric, you're killing me…!" Sookie moaned, her fingers curling against the tabletop.

She felt Eric grinning against her shoulder, his fangs skimming her burning skin.

"Hardly…" he hissed, cupping her left breast with his free hand, massaging her nipple through the fabric. Sookie gasped and trembled. "But you are a tease, and I need to punish you…"

Eric's tone was cunning, but his voice was strained and as Sookie started pushing back against him he let her, caressing her nipple in time with his small thrusts against her mound. Her hair had fallen out and skimmed against her back as they moved. Sookie's vision blackened as her pleasure started mounting, slowly forcing her towards the edge even though she longed to be filled so hard it almost drove her mad… Then, Eric's hand left her waist to sneak its way up under her skirt, in between her thighs, and Sookie threw her head back as his fingers stroked her glistening pearl hard, once, twice… When the first trembling shocks of her orgasm ripped through her, Eric swiftly grabbed hold of her hips, and Sookie's moan turned into a howl as he rammed his length into her, causing her climax to halt and then recommence ten times more powerful as he hit her sweet spot with full force. She trembled, losing her balance, but Eric wrapped his arms around her, supporting her as he fucked her with full, steady strokes, groaning against her shoulder as his pace became increasingly faster and rougher. Sookie couldn't stop cumming, each of Eric's thrust throwing bursts of pleasure through her and she spread her legs to allow him deeper, her blood burning and her flesh sore… She felt Eric grabbing the scarf that was still around her neck, his hand turning into a fist as he thrust into her hard one final time, twitching as he drowned his moan in her hair.

Sookie panted as the mind-blowing pleasure slowly subsided, leaving her weak and raw. Eric was still hard inside of her, and she shivered slightly as he kissed the back of her neck. A smile started to play in the corner of her mouth, she didn't know exactly why but for the moment, she decided to not spend any time analyzing it. She peered over her shoulder, looking at Eric.

"What happened to your legendary stamina?" she said, raising her eyebrows as if she really was disappointed.

Eric cocked his head, his fangs turning his smile wicked as he pushed further into her, claiming her in all the right ways. Sookie couldn't stifle a moan as her dormant arousal leapt alive, and Eric was still smiling as he put his mouth to her ear.

"I'm not done with you yet…"

Sookie's didn't know if her reflexes were stunned or permanently broken, all that she knew was that the bends of her knees were suddenly resting on Eric's arm as he carried her out of his office, fast enough to blur their surroundings. She clutched her arms around his neck as they moved through a corridor towards a door that looked an awful lot like the one to the basement. _Oh God, he's not taking me down there, is he? _she thought, cursing her notorious inability to shut her mouth. They entered, a wave of relief flowing through Sookie as it seemed to be a dimly lit bedroom, only with no windows and coffins instead of beds. Eric went straight to an archway at the far end of it, moving them into a conjoining room that housed nothing but a large double bed with black sheets. Sookie snickered as Eric put her down on it, only to have her breath hitching in her throat as Eric bent down, his hair brushing the inside of her thighs as he brought her to his mouth, his tongue darting out to taste her slick folds. Sookie's elbows connected with the mattress, her hips arching up to meet him as his hot breath tickled her most sensitive areas, quickly turning her aching and needing again as he teased her, using only the tip of his tongue to lick and prod. Just as Sookie thought that it was all over for her yet again, he moved his mouth to the inside of her right thigh. His fingers curled around her hip and she had the time to briefly wonder why before his fangs sank down, and Sookie writhed on the bed, trying but failing to bite back a cry as the sharp pain mixed with her pleasure, sending her shivering into oblivion once more, her pussy contracting in hard wet spasm as Eric drank with a guttural groan.

At the other end of the club, the concert was raging in an unabated pace, and the dance floor was filled to the breaking-point. The night was still young.

-.-.-.-

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the wait guys, this one became a bit longer though so I hope you forgive me. What will happen next, hmm… I wonder what Bill and Russell are up to? I'd be very grateful if you keep feeding my muse; she is lazy and needs lots of food. Lemony hugs, EF.**


	5. Blood pressure

The dim light from the next room was trying to stretch through the archway. It didn't reach far, and the small room with the big bed remained dark. Sookie's eyes had however gotten used to the darkness by now. She was resting against a pile of pillows at the end of the bed, naked but for the thin sheets wrapped around her. She didn't know how much time had passed, but the music had died down and the noises of the club had faded, so it was either very late or very early depending on how you looked at it. She felt lightheaded, but she wasn't sure if it was due to the blood loss or the fact that she was completely spent, in every sense of the word. Not only had Eric drained her blood, he had also drained her lust, taking her pleasure to heights that she couldn't have dreamt up if she tried. She had lost track of how many times she'd been on the brink of begging him to stop, fearing for her sanity, only to have him sweep her away again, rekindling her desire with his own. It had been different from the previous night. Their first time together had been so rushed, so desperate, and even then she had been convinced that she would never come close to such satisfaction ever again. She had been wrong. But then again, she had been wrong about many things lately.

Sookie looked down at Eric. He was lying outstretched on the bed with his head comfortably nestled in her lap. It was so out of character that Sookie found it strangely endearing. Her fingers were moving absentmindedly through his hair and had been doing so for some time. Eric's eyes were closed and his expression calm, a hint of a smile lingering on his lips. He reminded her of a large cat, or perhaps a lion, sated after a thrilling hunt. She noticed how much less pale his skin was now that he had fed, and even if his body didn't emit any heat she could almost imagine it.

"I hope you're happy." she said. "You finally got me."

Eric didn't open his eyes, but the corner of his mouth turned upwards somewhat.

"It was always just a matter of time." he said.

"Don't you ever get tired of being smug?" Sookie snorted.

"Never." Eric smiled.

Sookie sighed softly, chewing on the inside of her lip. Although her body was exhausted, her mind had slowly begun to wake from the numb state that Eric's touch placed it in. She had been trying for a while now to figure out how she felt about her situation. The heavy remorse that she had been waiting for ever since she invited Eric inside that first night had never come. Even now as she found herself in a sleazy Fangtasia backroom, after having confirmed to them both that what happened had been more than a spur of the moment, she was neither regretful nor filled with self-contempt. Instead, she realized that Eric's close presence had started to make her feel warm and almost secure in a way. It confused her to no end. 'Safe' had been one of the last things she'd expected to feel around him, but truth to be told, she had begun to feel a great deal of things around Eric. She had slept with him now, so it couldn't be pure curiosity that drew her towards him anymore. It was something else, but Sookie wasn't ready to think about it just yet. She should miss Bill, and she did, just not as much or in the ways that she had expected. There were a lot of things that were logical for her to feel and do, but her state resented the very idea of logic to begin with.

"It's weird." she said, twirling a strand of Eric's hair around index finger. "With all the shit that's happened to me, you'd think that I'd be running from vampires faster than my brother runs from commitment…"

Eric opened his iridescent blue eyes to look at her.

"And yet here you are." he said.

"That's it." Sookie said, her gaze drifting into empty space. "You've officially screwed my brains out."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment."

Silence fell over the room, and for a while neither of them said anything. The club was almost completely quiet now, save from distant footsteps and a woman laughing somewhere at the other end of the building. Sookie sent a brief thought to Jessica, wondering if she was still together with her newfound company. Either way, she wouldn't have had to be a rocket scientist to figure out where Sookie had gone. They must have been so dreadfully obvious…

"Did you say that Bill was with Lorena?"

Sookie met Eric's inquiring gaze.

"Do we have to talk about him?" she said, but Eric didn't look like he was in a hurry to change the subject. "…but yes, he is. He even put her on the phone to prove it."

"That means they are probably with the King of Mississippi… Lorena is a member of his court." Eric said slowly, staring at the ceiling. A wrinkle appeared on his brow as he spoke. "But what does that have to do with the werewolves…?"

Sookie barely listened to what Eric said. Her mind was flooded with thoughts of Bill, summing up their relationship in sounds and blurry images. The tears she had cried for him, all the things they had shared, everything he had put her through… all ending with that cold phone call. It had all been so brief, and yet she had been convinced that it was true love. The more she had learned about vampires however, the less certain she had become. Looking back, being with Bill had been like losing herself in an intoxicated daze, drawing out sides of herself that she had never known existed… and it was the same with Eric, only stronger. Sookie's heartbeats grew heavy as her blood rose to the surface, throbbing in her temples. She suddenly realized that all of the lose threads could be tied down by the answer to a single question. It was a question that Bill hadn't answered fully, and at the time she had refrained from digging further into it, perhaps because she deep down had been afraid of the answer. Now, however, she had reached the point where she couldn't stand to dwell on it any longer.

"Eric… how exactly does the blood work?"

The blonde vampire beneath her raised his eyebrows.

"Why?" he asked.

Sookie moved her fingers out of his hair, placing her hand beside her thigh.

"I think I'm entitled to know, that's all." she said.

Eric's face darkened somewhat and Sookie got the strong sense that he'd rather not talk about this, but she kept her gaze stern to make him realize that he wasn't going to get out of this one. A few moments passed, but then Eric spoke again.

"It intensifies the human's attraction towards the vampire, creating a physical bond between them." he said, his voice low. "The stronger the initial attraction, the less blood is needed to produce the effect."

A shiver traveled down Sookie's spine. She remembered her first taste of Bill's blood, how her broken body had screamed for it, craved it to survive. She had drunk so much of it… and then everything had happened very fast. In the course of a couple of days, she had fallen madly in love with Bill, and she had been obsessed with him ever since. Sookie tried frantically to recall the very first time they had met. He had sparked her interest, because he represented something out of the ordinary, something new and exciting. Yes, she had been curious, fascinated even… but _attracted_? She suddenly wasn't sure, and thinking about it created a black hole in the pit of her stomach.

"Well, it's not like I had any choice with Bill." she said, as calmly as she could. "If I hadn't taken his blood that night, I would be dead now."

"Awfully convenient, isn't it…" Eric mumbled. Sookie frowned. Eric was looking at something faraway, his face filled with contempt. "…that Bill would let his age ground judgment slip that very night, putting you between himself and two blatant, violent drainers…"

Sookie could barely stifle a gasp. She was taken aback by how much Eric seemed to know about that night. Bill must have told someone about for it to reach Eric, but that as such didn't really come as a surprise to her. What made her pulse race was the undertone of Eric's words, and how he had said them, as if he had been carrying that presumption around for a long time.

"Eric, what is it that Bill hasn't told me…?" she said, forcing her words forward one by one.

"I've been waiting for a while now for him to man up and tell you himself." Eric said. "But judging from his latest actions, that's not going to happen any time soon."

Eric's voice was dripping with scorn and Sookie waited restlessly for him to continue, to tell her what he knew. But Eric didn't say anything else and his gaze was once again frozen solid, denying her access to his thoughts. Sookie felt a lash of heat striking across her chest. There were times when Eric's cryptic side captivated her, but also times when she downright hated it, and this was one of those times.

"I for one don't see how you are any different." she said. Eric instantly locked her in his intense gaze, but Sookie ignored it. "You both had me drinking your blood without me knowing the consequences. How am I supposed to know if anything I feel is real?"

Eric was faster than a speeding bullet. Before Sookie had the time to draw a breath he had moved from her lap to a seated position right in front of her. The sudden movement would have made anyone flinch, but Sookie just hugged the sheets against her chest, facing Eric. The shadows in the room emphasized his broad shoulders, every line of bulging muscle. His eyes had something irate to them and she could almost taste his agitation in the air.

"Sookie…" he whispered, and even though she wanted to melt then and there she held her ground, keeping her face straight.

"When Bill first brought you here…" Eric continued, his tone strained. "…look me in the eyes and tell me you didn't feel it."

In an instant, Sookie's heart froze. Everything inside of her came to a halt as Eric's words slowly sank in. She wanted to tell him that she had no idea what he was talking about, but the undeniable fact was that she did. Back then, she had thought little of it and had instead focused on endorsing her negative feelings towards him, letting them drown out everything else. In truth however, she had been attracted to Eric ever since she laid her eyes upon him that fateful evening at Fangtasia. It had nothing to do with the blood. In a way, the only thing that single drop of his blood had done to her was making her realize something she had already known for a long time… But that didn't stop her from being completely baffled by Eric's statement. She had never expected him to say anything like that, not in that way. She searched his expression for any trace of a joke or insincerity, but couldn't find any. _Why would he…_

"Feel what, Eric?" Sookie said, blood rushing to her cheeks. "Love at first sight? The more I see of vampires, the clearer it becomes to me that you know no such thing."

Her voice had been harsher than she'd intended, but she didn't notice it until she was already done speaking. Eric's lips parted, but instead of answering he turned his face away. Sookie suddenly felt like she had hurt him, although she hadn't really meant to.

"You told me yourself, back at the Fellowship of the Sun…" she said slowly. "You don't understand love."

Eric's eyes flashed through the darkness as he turned to her again, sharply.

"I don't…!" he spat.

Sookie watched him, rendered speechless. She felt no anger from him, but rather a confused frustration that she hadn't seen him display since Godric's death. When she didn't say anything, Eric's expression softened and his gaze moved to the mattress between them, as if he couldn't bear to look at her anymore. Sookie got a powerful urge to touch him, making them both forget what had just been said, turning everything simple again. But she couldn't do that, not now. She had learned so many things in such a short time, and yet her mind was still a scrambled mess. For the first time that night, she was cold and longed for her clothes.

"… I should get Jessica home." she said shortly, sliding out of the bed.

She could feel Eric's eyes burning in her back as she gathered her garments from the floor, putting each of them on carefully.

"You are welcome to stay if you want. Both of you." he said.

Sookie had picked up the last piece of her outfit; the scarlet scarf, and stroked it between her fingers as she locked her gaze with Eric's. The tension was still there, but not as blatant as before.

"No, I really should." she said. "But since my judgment isn't likely to improve, I'll probably be back here sooner than you think."

-.-.-.-

There were no doubts whatsoever that the club had just hosted a concert. Sookie had to mind her steps in order to avoid the broken bottles and the trash littering the floor. The big room was completely deserted apart from two lone figures on each side of the bar. Pam was leaning over the desk, looking aloof at best, apparently listening to some story that Jessica was telling her. When Sookie walked up to them, Jessica broke out into one of the broadest smiles she had ever seen.

"Hey Sookie!" she said cheerfully. "Did you have as much fun as I had?"

"Let's go home, and maybe I'll tell you in the car." Sookie said. "Just maybe."

Jessica seemed content with this and the two of them said their goodbyes to Pam. Pam waved them off, staring at their backs as they walked away. As the door slammed shut behind them she gave a long, firm sigh, though she technically hadn't had the need to do that for nearly a hundred years.

"I need a raise…" she mumbled.

-.-.-.-

* * *

**A/N: Hey all! A little shorter this time, but this chapter ****is very important plotwise, and I'm guessing that it also marks the middle of the fic. But since this is my first multichapter, your guess is as good as mine. What I do know however is that I enjoy writing this, and that I'm happy to have you with me for the ride. Love, EF.**


	6. Great revelations

"Do you think we broke her?" Pam asked.

Eric sat casually leant back into the car seat, his eyes lazily tracing the cityscape that flew past them. His face was as if carved in stone. It was hard to believe that his features had been completely distorted by rage just moments ago.

"If we did, there are a hundred more just like her, ready to take her place." he said, not offering Pam so much as a glance.

Pam moved her gaze from the rear view mirror, focusing instead on the brightly lit road. It was a couple of hours after sunset, and for some reason, traffic was insane. The high-octane engine hummed as she sped up in a vain attempt to avoid the jam that was likely to form as they approached the downtown areas. The two of them were on their way back to Fangtasia after visiting Ginger. It had been anything but a pleasure cruise. The night before, they had assigned the barmaid an important task. She were to store a package for them at her place, a package that contained the major part of the remaining V, thus protecting it from the raid that grew more and more imminent as the Magistrate's patience faded. The latter part of the information was however unbeknownst to Ginger, and she only knew of the package itself. She had agreed, not asking twice what it contained, seeming delighted to have some days off. They had left it at that, confident that she loved her pathetic life too much to dare screw things up. The concert that followed had kept both of them occupied, and they hadn't heard anything from Ginger that caused them to stir. Until tonight.

Fangtasia had been open for a little more than an hour when reports started reaching Eric about a frenzied party that was raging in an apartment somewhere across the river; a party fueled with massive amounts of V. They had left as soon as they could. In retrospect, Ginger was lucky that Eric had decided to bring Pam; otherwise she most likely would have been dead before she'd even had the time to scream. It was Pam who had convinced Eric that the barmaid's sudden disappearance would draw even more unwanted attention to them, increasing the damage, and slowly, he had backed down. Ginger's throat would still be badly bruised though, since Eric had lifted her by it, practically strangling her on the spot before Pam had managed to stop him. It had taken their combined efforts to collect the V and glamour the frightened vermin that crowded the apartment – mainly addicts and various lowlifes that had been drawn there by the buzz like moths to a flame. They had turned to Ginger last, and when they were through with her she had just barely been able to remember her own name. Not wanting to spend another minute in the shabby dump where she lived, they were out of there as quickly as they had come. The mess was sorted, and there really shouldn't have been anything left about the incident for Pam to dwell on. Unsettling enough though, there was.

Pam tightened her grip around the steering wheel to stop herself from throwing yet another inquiring glance at Eric. She tried to brush it off, but her thoughts wouldn't stop circling around the strange transformation that he seemed to have undergone lately. The sudden outbursts, the way he let his feelings get the best of him, his total disregard of measures he'd normally invest great care in… none of these were things that Pam attributed to her maker. It had been so hard for her to reach him back there with Ginger; his rage had been that overpowering. This new Eric was hotheaded and irrational, reckless, and it clashed so badly with her previous experiences together with him. Ever since the night he turned her, Eric had persisted to imprint Pam with the value of callousness, since emotions were human and therefore would make her a weak vampire if she couldn't control them. She had always believed that it was Eric's impervious nature that had enabled him to live for so long, to become as successful as he was, and that made the whole situation even more confusing. Although, as she looked back, Pam was now almost certain that she could pinpoint where it had began, the cause of it all. Eric was an excellent liar, but he had neither lied nor tried to hide this from her, simply because he refused to admit to himself what was going on.

They came up towards the final intersection before downtown, and not surprisingly, Pam's prediction came true. The lights in the distant turned red and they were stuck at a standstill. Almost instantly, Pam's fingers grew itchy with boredom. Time was something that she had endless amounts off, but that didn't make waiting any less annoying.

"We would have been faster on foot." she stated, holding out one of her hands to inspect her perfectly manicured nails.

"But it's such a nice car…" Eric said dully.

"True." Pam cited, watching the streetlights reflect in the varnish on the hood. It was in a deep, almost purple red, a color she had been fond of ever since she was human. Also, the interior was exquisite, and she had to admit that she didn't exactly hate being in the driver's seat with all that raw power beneath her. It _was_ a nice car.

"Remind me again why we are giving it to the wannabe?" she said, raising an eyebrow at Eric.

"Because, pitiful as it may be, Lafayette is currently our top seller." Eric sighed. "He deserves a little encouragement. And I know that's asking a lot of you…"

Pam turned to him. Eric looked like he was about to reprimand a child for ripping the wings off a fly.

"…but could you at least _try_ to play nice with him? The poor bastard already has nightmares about one of us."

Pam smiled wickedly. She could very well imagine those kinds of nightmares.

"I'll do my best…" she mused.

Before long, the two vampires pulled up in the driveway in front of Fangtasia. The club was dark and silent since they had closed it down before they left, and the hulking building looked if possible even tackier like this without all the neon. Eric got up and out of the car, but he didn't send Pam on her way immediately as she had expected. Instead he lingered next to the car, his gaze on a restless journey across the dark sky above them.

"There is one other thing…" he said to Pam. "I'm going to Mississippi for a night or two. To the King."

"Sounds serious." she said. "Care to share?"

"At this time, the less you know the better." Eric said, a frown settling between his brows. "But I have a suspicion, and if it proves to be grounded, things are going to get serious indeed…"

Pam watched as Eric's gaze became distant, as if he was looking at something that nobody else could see. She tilted her head. Clearly, he wasn't just leaving on some mundane duty call. A short moment passed before Eric spoke again, and when he did, it was as if he had to drag himself out of a deep well in order to do it.

"That being said, you are to remain in Bon Temps until I return." he said. "There are Jackson weres running loose in the Stackhouse backyard, looking for the right moment to abduct Sookie, for reasons I'm yet to figure out. And, since Compton is nowhere to be found, she is without protection. Throw her a slumber party, camp in one of the booths at the joint where she works – I don't care. Just don't let her out of your sight."

"Oh please, like I have nothing better to do than babysit your snack of the month." Pam snorted, half joking and half sincere.

Obviously though, Eric was in no mood for jokes. He stared her down instantly with a subzero glow in his eyes that nearly froze the air around them.

"You will not refer to her that way ever again." he said, without raising his voice, he didn't have to. "Understood?"

"Fine!" Pam replied sharply. "I'll do it, but I don't like this. It's freaking me out."

"What is?" Eric grunted.

"You are!" Pam said, locking her gaze with her maker's. "Ever since Sookie Stackhouse came along, you have not been yourself, Eric."

Eric's lips parted and for a brief moment he almost looked speechless. Then, he clenched his jaw and an odd smile twisted the left corner of his mouth.

"You'd be surprised." he said.

Pam was going to say something more but before she could come up with anything, Eric shot up into the sky, his black leather jacket flapping behind him as he soared out of sight. For a few moments Pam stared at the spot between the clouds were he had vanished. Then, she stepped on the gas, forcing the expensive car forward with a roar, out of the parking lot and onto the open road. 'Surprised' just might prove to be the understatement of the year.

-.-.-.-

Sookie suppressed a giggle. Jessica was standing over by the stairs, mop in hand, her eyes wide with amazement. The polka-dot towel she had collected her hair in made her resemble a housewife in a 1950's commercial. The two of them were in the middle of sprucing up Bill's house, a task that had proved to be more time-consuming than they had originally planned for. Sookie didn't mind though. She had stayed over with Jessica after the concert, and since neither of them felt like being alone, she had just remained. Given that they were obviously living there, they had decided to at least try and make the place more living-friendly. It was well into the night when they were finally done dusting out and could turn their attention to the floors. Even though everything inside of the house reminded Sookie of Bill, she found that having Jessica around made her feel a lot less bad about it. Over the course of a short time a friendship had formed between the two, a friendship that was liberating to Sookie due to the simple fact that Jessica was a vampire, and therefore able to comprehend aspects of Sookie's life that nobody else could. They had been talking for hours while cleaning and somewhat inevitably, Sookie's unusual abilities had come up. There were few things that didn't amaze Jessica, and this topic was certainly no exception.

"Okay, let me get this straight," she said. "Not only can you read people's minds, but you also shoot thunderbolts out of your hands!"

"I can sense what humans are thinking, yes." Sookie said, dabbing a corner with her mop. "And it's not exactly thunderbolts, more like bursts of light."

Jessica's eyes became if possible even wider.

"That is so freakin' cool!" she gasped. "Can you like, show me?"

"I can't control it." Sookie said. "It only seems to happen when something sets me off, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"

"Right…" Jessica complied, but Sookie couldn't help but notice that her gaze lingered expectantly on Sookie's hands, as if they would suddenly start glowing.

Humming softly, Sookie continued to work her way towards the door directly to the left from the entrance. They were almost finished with the hallway now and were about to move into the conjoining rooms, but even though Sookie had spent quite some time Bill's house, she couldn't seem to remember ever being behind that particular door…

"So, Eric huh?" Jessica said, a wry smile playing on her lips. "That's an upgrade if I ever saw one."

A jolt of heat flickered in the pit of Sookie's stomach, something that had become a common occurrence whenever the tall blonde vampire crossed her mind. For no obvious reason, her cheeks turned a bright shade of red. She had really tried to be rational about it, but no matter how hard she tried not to, she missed Eric, and it wasn't just physical this time around.

"I thought we agreed on not setting me off." she sniggered sheepishly, quickly turning to the door in a vain attempt to hide her reaction from Jessica.

The door slid up with a creak, and Sookie's jaw dropped at the scene in front of her, replacing her heated thoughts with bewilderment.

"Whoa, what happened in here?"

Sookie heard Jessica coming up behind her as she stared at the mess. The room behind the door was a small study, dominated by a large wooden secretaire. The front of it seemed to have been busted open by force, and the floor around it was covered in loose documents, carelessly thrown books, folders and paper clippings. Sookie shot a glance at Jessica, finding her just as confused as she was.

"I don't know…" Jessica said, shaking her head slowly. "I haven't been in here much to be honest."

"Almost looks like you had a break-in." Sookie said, her eyebrows furrowing.

Minding their steps, both of them walked into the room. Sookie looked at the window, searching for signs of a forced entry, but it seemed untouched. Why anyone would want to break into Bill's house in the first place was a mystery to her. She dropped her gaze to the floor where Jessica had bent down and was rummaging through the ravel.

"Sookie, look…!" she said, holding out a bunch of faded photographs. They were all of Sookie.

Sookie got down on her knees next to Jessica. Little by little, they started going through the mess, but it didn't take long for Sookie to realize that what was in this room was a complete directory of her life, starting even before she was born. There was a detailed chart of her ancestry, newspaper articles concerning her or her family, her parents' obituaries, photos ranging from her early years into present time… If Sookie hadn't known better, she would have guessed that this was the priced collection of a very advanced and very creepy stalker. By the time she grabbed the folder that was halfway hidden under the secretaire, her heart was pounding hard enough to hurt, but as she opened it, she suddenly felt like it had dropped into her stomach and crashed there.

"These dates…" she mumbled, frantically scanning the handwritten notes. "… they are from several months before Bill and I met."

Jessica cursed softly, but Sookie was too busy reading to hear her. What she was holding seemed to be a logbook, in which Bill described his informational finds about her and his continuing advances in order to get close to her. Most of the notes concerned her supernatural abilities, whether they where veritable, and if so how he was going to gather evidence. His words were so direct, so devoid of emotion, as if he was pursuing an object rather than something living. All over the log, at least once in each note, he mentioned the initials "S.A", as if the person behind them was of great importance. The more she read, the more troubled Sookie's breathing became. Eric had implied that Bill had a hidden agenda, that them meeting had been anything but a coincidence, and here she was sitting surrounded by more proof for that than she could have ever wished for. _Bill had done all of this behind her back, and she hadn't suspected a thing. _A stab of pain mixed with nausea hit Sookie somewhere below her chest.

"Sookie, you have to hear this." Jessica said.

Sookie tore her gaze away from the log. Jessica was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a heavy book bound in leather resting in her lap. She was inspecting a particular page closely.

"I thought it was a children's storybook at first, but listen to this..." she said. "'The ancient writings tell us of the 'Olde People', sometimes mentioned as 'Keepers of the Light' or simply 'fairies'. These creatures would live very long lives and could be seen dancing on the rays of the sun. They were said to be highly intelligent and able to interpret a humans' secrets just by looking at them. It was believed that their life force was made out of pure light, and that they harvested all its power to bend to their will.'"

Sookie stared at Jessica, her lips parted.

"Don't you get it?" Jessica said avidly. "It sounds almost exactly like you…!"

Although her head was spinning with all this crazy information, Sookie had to admit that it kind of did. A short time ago she hadn't believed in vampires; much less shape-shifters or werewolves, but they were all obviously very real. There was no specific reason why the creatures in the book couldn't be real as well. And ever since she was little, she had wondered what was wrong with her, why she was so different... But a _fairy? A freakin' fairy?_

The doorbell rang, and both of them nearly jumped a few feet into the air. After exchanging a surprised glance with Jessica, Sookie rose to her feet, her legs wobbly after sitting on them for so long. She walked out into the still damp hallway, thankful to whomever it was outside the door for offering her a break. It was just too much weirdness for her to handle in one sitting. She opened the door, watching the amber glow from the lanterns fall on the figure on the porch. It was Pam. She was dressed to kill as always, but her posture was tense and each of her features were sharp like shards of glass. She didn't look happy at all.

"Hi Pam." Sookie said, clearing her throat.

"Can I have a word with you?" Pam said callously.

Sookie threw a glance at Jessica standing in the doorway to the study, and then nodded.

"Sure…" she said, closing the door behind her.

Sookie stepped out onto the porch, next to Pam. She didn't seem very talkative though, as she only stared at her for several tense moments before Sookie decided that she'd had enough.

"So, what's up?" she asked. A totally unfounded notion made her blurt out her second question before her brain had a chance to process it. "Is Eric okay?"

"Oh, he's fine." Pam replied. "Apart from the fact that he is out of his damned mind, that is."

Sookie frowned, but Pam didn't grant her any time to ponder.

"I can't figure out how, but somehow you've managed to make him fall in love with you."

Pam pronounced 'in love' as if it was some kind of disease. Sookie's heart took a tumble to her stomach for the second time that night. If it had been anyone other than Pam suggesting this, she wouldn't have believed it. But after all, Pam knew Eric better than anyone else… Sookie was suddenly freezing and throbbing hot at the same time. Had Eric been trying to tell her this back at Fangtasia? She realized that he probably had; only she had refused to believe him… She didn't know what to say, so she stood silent as Pam went on.

"As I said; I don't know how or why. All I know is that he is emotional, and that makes him weak." she said, stepping closer to Sookie.

Sookie crossed her arms, unconsciously trying to bar herself from Pam. She reminded her of a little sister trying to protect her older brother, only much more deadly.

"I also know this," Pam added slowly. "Should you decide to somehow use this against him, I will teach you a new meaning to the word 'upset'."

A short silence fell over Bill's porch. Pam kept Sookie locked in her icy gaze for a few moments before she turned and walked over to one of the benches, taking excessive care to flatten the wrinkles in her skirt as she sat down. If Sookie's head hadn't been spinning before she opened the door, it certainly was now, and on top of it all she seemed to have lost her vocal skills.

"Where is he?" she managed, her cheeks throbbing.

"He's in Jackson, dealing with the were-situation." Pam recited in her usual, jaded tone. "And until he returns, I'm your very own personal bodyguard."

"Gee, thanks Pam…" Sookie mumbled.

Not knowing what else to do, she sat down next to the blond vampire, letting out a short sigh as her tired body slumped down on the bench like a bag of bricks. They had been sitting like that for a while, staring into the night without speaking, when Jessica cautiously opened the door.

"I making tea and heating up some Tru Bloods." she said. "Anyone?"

Sookie was dead certain that Pam would either pretend that she didn't hear her or make a disgusted face. Instead, she did none of those things.

"Yeah, why the hell not…" she mumbled, rising from the bench and following a pleasantly surprised Jessica indoors.

Sookie remained on the porch for a moment or two, her mouth slightly open in disbelief. Then, she decided that the night at least couldn't get any stranger, and returned inside.

-.-.-.-

* * *

**A/N: I know, it's been FAR too long since last time. Real life can be ****hard work, but you can hopefully consider me back on track. The fic is still very much alive, and I have the next chapter closely planned out (it will contain lemons, yay!). If you're still there, you deserve cookies and applause. Don't give up on me yet ;) Love, EF.**


	7. Into the hornet's nest

The Edgington Estate was an architectural orgy in pompous flamboyance. It was nothing but a blatant display of monetary power and it irked Eric in more ways than one. He had been raised a prince, and - apart from a dry streak back in medieval Europe – his path alongside Godric had been prosperous by and large, but Eric had never been one for loud-mouthed boasting. He was convinced that true power was of the subtle kind; the kind that permeated a presence, and that kind of power didn't require any castles. However, he couldn't deny that the marble pathway felt immaculately smooth beneath his feet and the dark garden around him was beautiful. It wouldn't have been so bad, if it wasn't for the fact that the grounds were positively crawling with dirty dogs.

He had two of them following behind him as he walked, one in front of him, and he could count at least five more in the immediate area, their ragged animalistic breathing revealing them even though they were concealed by the darkness. Their stench filled Eric's nostrils, but he didn't express his loathing even in the slightest. He remained deadpan, ignoring the scornful growls from the pair behind him as he followed the unshifted head guard up the steps to the main entrance. The were slipped inside, forcing Eric to spend a small eternity waiting on the porch. Then, he emerged again, holding up the door with an arrogant grin on his face. Eric didn't grant him as much as a look. The door closed behind him and he had time to cast a brief glance at the elegant hallway before he once again had company.

"Ah, Mr. Northman. Area five, no?"

The vampire that came waltzing into the hallway was dressed in a red velvet robe, a shimmering leopard-print scarf wrapped around his neck. His wavy black hair was slicked back and his dark eyes glinted with a deceitful illusion of youth. Together with a cloud of expensive cologne, he brought along an aura of snootiness that could have been sensed from miles away. Eric gave a short businesslike bow, raising an eyebrow slightly as the vampire in front of him held out his hand.

"I'm Talbot," he said, smiling broadly.

Eric watched as Talbot's gaze roamed over him in an all but discreet way and grinned inwardly. He was used to being adored, by humans and vampires, men and women alike… but this one, Talbot, was much too _flaming_ for his taste. Nevertheless, his obvious interest could prove to be useful to him. He took Talbot's hand, tightening his grip just a little more than the situation called for.

"A pleasure…" he said slowly, just hinting at a sly smile.

Their eyes locked, and Talbot went as far as dabbing his own lips with the tip of his tongue. Though Eric might have found this amusing in another setting, he quickly became bored with the little charade. Thankfully, Talbot shortly decided to move things along.

"We were just sitting down for dinner. You are welcome to join us." he said, gesturing towards the archway from where he had come.

Nodding politely, Eric followed Talbot into the candlelit dining room. The ceiling was higher than it had appeared from the outside, creating an acoustic that amplified each footstep and hushed voice. The massive oak table in the middle of the room was big enough to accommodate a whole banquet, and the small gathering around it made it seem even bigger. Eric's immediate impression of the scene was that of a puppet show. It appeared as if half of the group would have given an arm or a leg to be anywhere but right there. The frivolous atmosphere was so fake and brittle that Eric could almost taste it. He first spotted Lorena next to Bill, her pale hand resting on top of his on the table. Her expression was content to the point that it was almost nauseating. Bill however looked stiff as a board, more so than he usually did, and he shot Eric a sharp glance telling him that he wasn't particularly happy to see him. On the opposite side of the table was a shady-looking male vampire that Eric didn't recognize, lazily picking his nails. Beside him was the blonde girl that Sophie-Anne kept as a pet, nibbling quietly on a cracker, and next to her was the Queen herself, her face dark with an unattractive glumness. And finally, at the head of the table, was Russell Edgington, King of Mississippi. He greeted Eric with an amiable smile and yet Eric instantly knew that he held nothing but contempt for this vampire. It was an odd, primal notion, and it surprised him somewhat. Instead of exploring it deeper Eric once again took a short bow.

"Pardon my intrusion, my Lord," he said.

"Don't be silly, Sheriff." Russell answered grandly. "Please have a seat."

Eric did as he was told without even blinking, intentionally taking the seat next to Bill. A wicked part of him hoped that Bill could smell Sookie on him even though that probably was too much to wish for. Talbot returned to his seat next to Russell, his gaze drifting away from Eric only briefly before it was on him again. Eric ignored him, instead watching the King closely. He leisurely concluded the discussion he had been having with Bill before turning his attention towards Eric.

"So tell me, Mr. Northman," the ancient vampire said, "what brings you all the way to Mississippi?"

"I was searching for Mr. Compton, since he had been reported as kidnapped." Eric said, glancing shortly at Bill. "And the tracks led me here."

Russell cocked his head, though it was obvious that he had been expecting this answer.

"A mere misunderstanding." he said. "And as you can see, Mr. Compton is doing quite well. He is here for business, as well as an occasional guilty pleasure."

Lorena chuckled softly, and Eric watched as Bill forced a cunning smile to match that of the King's. _Oh Billy, now what have you gotten yourself into?_ he thought. Smiling accordingly, Eric turned to Sophie-Anne, putting on a forged, humble expression.

"I did not expect to see my Queen here." he said. "Your highness."

Sophie-Anne made a desultory attempt at the condescending glance that was her signature, but her heart wasn't in it. Russell put his hands together, rubbing them like someone who could barely contain themselves.

"What do you say, dear? Should we tell him?" he grinned towards Sophie-Anne.

He reached out to touch her shoulder. She drew back to avoid him and he shrugged theatrically, raising his eyebrows at Eric. Not sure what to think of this, Eric held his ground, even if seeing Sophie-Anne in dismay was pleasurable to him.

"We were going to keep it a secret, but what the hell." Russell continued, still grinning. "Your lovely Queen and I eloped on a whim and got ourselves married a few nights ago, merging our two areas into one glorious kingdom. Isn't that delightfully foolish and romantic?"

"Very…" Talbot mouthed sarcastically from across the table.

"Ah, Talbot darling, don't be like that." Russell said. "You know perfectly well that you'll always be my favorite."

He turned away from Talbot just in time to miss his pouting grimace.

"Things are changing, that is true, but it's all for the greater good." he said, again looking at Eric. "Yes, Mr. Northman, I think you'll find that a lot of great changes are in the making..."

Though Eric waited, Russell added nothing to his cryptic statement, and as if on cue a procession of waiters entered the room bringing the dinner. It was made up of various blood infusions, something that Eric found to be an insult to fresh and living blood, but he pitched in as expected. Russell led the conversation as the group dined, more often than not bringing it towards the feebleness of humans and the travesty of the mainstreaming-campaign. Eric picked up on this, relating an instance where a human historian society had laid claim upon one of his properties that he was about to demolish, arguing that it should be preserved for educational reasons. It was only partly true, but he was awarded with laughter from Russell as the vampires in the group contemplated the irony of _human_ historians. The dinner progressed well into the night, and Eric became more and more convinced that he was sitting on a heap of concealed trouble and that he had to dig deeper. As the group rose from the table to move into the lounge, he approached Russell with his back slightly slanted, a ploy he often used to appear less intimidating.

"My Lord, may I be so blunt as to request a private audience with the Queen?" he said. "We have some business matters to discuss."

Russell watched him shrewdly for a moment and then turned to Sophie-Anne. She was fuming due to the fact that Eric had just talked over her head, something that she definitely wasn't used to, and this seemed to amuse him.

"Fair enough." he said, giving Sophie-Anne a long look. "You may use the library across the hall."

Sophie-Anne raised her chin, gesturing for Hadley to follow her as she started walking out of the room.

"Leave your pet here." Russell said, his expression cordial but his tone stern. "Don't worry - we will keep her company. There is always room for a little extra dessert."

Sophie-Anne gave a high-pitched growl and stormed off. Hadley watched her leave and then went cautiously up to Russell, her head hanging in acceptance of her fate.

"Enjoy." Russell grinned to Eric, nodding towards Sophie-Anne's direction.

The King placed one arm around Hadley's back and the other around Talbot's, escorting the remaining group into the lounge room. Bill threw Eric an inquiring look over his shoulder, but Eric didn't pay him any attention as he sauntered towards the library.

Sophie-Anne sat in one of the leather couches with her arms crossed as Eric entered, looking more like a child forced into detention than a royalty. Eric closed the door behind him, pausing for a brief moment to listen with his right ear against the wooden panel. The library seemed to be soundproofed. Excellent. Acting as if he was more interested in the well-filled bookcases than Sophie-Anne, he unhurriedly walked up to the couch. He had planned to take a seat next to her, but found that he liked having her beneath him on yet another level too much. He remained standing, looming above her.

"I must congratulate you," he said, smiling delicately. "seeing as you've managed to solve your financial issues and all."

Sophie-Anne glared quietly at the floor, pressing her lips together.

"Though," Eric continued, "I'm surprised that you haven't sent the Magistrate on me out of spite."

"He killed him…!" Sophie-Anne spat, her dark blue eyes flashing.

"What?" Eric frowned, failing to hide his confusion completely.

"Russell tortured the Magistrate into marrying us, and then he killed him." Sophie-Anne stated coldly, staring at Eric.

Eric quickly gathered his racing thoughts. Clearly, what he had seen so far this night had only been the tip of the trouble-mountain.

"Are the Authority aware of this yet?" he said.

"They should be." Sophie-Anne snorted. "But he has connections like a fucking tarantula. He's wired. Wired deep. And the most fucked up part is; I don't think he even cares if they find out or not."'

Eric reflected briefly on the information he had obtained. He had only ever heard of Russell Edgington before tonight, but it was obvious that he was a fundamentalist and not just a little mental at that. Also, there was hardly any doubts that the were in Bon Temps came from Russell's jurisdiction… but Eric had more questions that demanded answers, the most burning being the one that had brought him on this trail in the first place.

"If that is true, he is a first class lunatic; which would make you two the perfect couple." he drawled. "But what I don't understand is why he wants Sookie Stackhouse. He must want her, or else Compton wouldn't be here."

Sophie-Anne produced a strange longing smile that looked daunting paired with her otherwise derisive expression.

"Same reason I wanted her." she said. "She's part fae."

Eric's fingers curled somewhat, pushing his nails into his palm.

"That means… her blood…?" he said slowly.

"Yes. Bill has experienced it for himself." Sophie-Anne said, raising her eyebrows in mockery. "I thought you would have tried her out by now."

To this Eric had no come-back; because the truth was that he _had_. Realization came crashing over him like an avalanche and he parted his lips. He had stayed with Sookie for far too long that heated night after the attack, and by the time he had gotten back to Fangtasia it had already been dawn. Pam had given him the strangest look as he came inside, but he had been too wrapped up in Sookie's scent, too drunk on her delicious blood to question why he hadn't even noticed the morning sun touching his skin. Her blood, it was _fae_, that'swhat had been so different about it… the stories he had once written off with a laugh were true... Eric noticed that Sophie-Anne was scrutinizing him and snapped back to the present, turning his gaze stern and cold.

"How much does Russell know?" he said.

"He believes it to be bullshit, but he is keen to find out." Sophie-Anne replied. "Bill has done what he can to keep her out of here, but he sent one of his mongrels-"

"I ripped his throat out." Eric interjected, causing the pale red-head to eye him with heightened caution.

"Good." she said, rising from the couch and turning away from him. "I hate them almost as much as I hate being locked up in this fucking hell-hole."

Eric had to fight harder than ever to contain the emotions that whirled up inside of him, threatening his control. A part of him wanted to direct all attention towards the ancient puzzle, the puzzle he had been trying to solve this past millennia and that now seemed to have gained almost all of the missing pieces, but he sealed his urgent impulses away. There were too many blanks left. Sookie, the weres and Russell… it just didn't add up. Eric watched Sophie-Anne as she stood over by one of the bookcases, suddenly defensive. There was more to this. There was another layer.

"What is _really _going on here?" he said lowly.

Sophie-Anne's gaze was sullen as she lifted it from the floor.

"What are you going to do?" she mumbled.

Eric took one step closer to her.

"Tell me what you know."

"I can't…-"

Sophie-Anne's wrists were like cold marble in his hands as Eric shoved her up against the bookcase by swift force, her back connecting with it hard enough to make some of the books fall out. She bared her fangs with a hiss, but Eric only answered by extending his own, staring her down as cornered her, his hold around her flesh so strong that it would have shattered wood.

"Sure you can." he growled.

"He'll stake me for even talking to you in the first place...!" Sophie-Anne hissed.

Eric reveled in his former Queen's transformation, a crude grin forming on his lips. There was nothing left of her authority. The tables had finally turned into their true direction. He could smell her fear, fainter and more complex than that of a human, but nonetheless; Sophie-Anne was genuinely afraid. Her auburn locks were falling out of their carefully adorned arrangement and her pearly white neck was fully exposed inches away from his fangs. The situation might have been almost erotic if Eric hadn't found her so pitiable.

"It's either him or me, angelcake." he said. "And I can assure you that I'd enjoy it ten times more than he would."

Sophie-Anne stared darkly up at him. He could tell that she wanted out of here; and that she'd probably realized - reluctantly - that for this Eric would be her best shot right now.

"Russell wants war." she gritted, her fangs retracting as she spoke. "And he intends to get it by rallying all the supes that disagree with the revelation. The mainstreaming-movement have been trying to deny their existence, but the opposition exists even within the Authority. The local weres are with Russell because he supplies them with his blood, and the Texas monkeys will join him once he eradicates Isabelle..."

Eric loosened his grip on Sophie-Anne somewhat. He had been right in his assumption regarding the blood. Also, he knew very well of the clusterfuck that was Godric's old area. It was overflowing with extremists and it had taken a firm ruling to keep it under control. With all the hate that still lingered there since the bomb, and the complete lack of homage that most of the resident vampires paid Isabelle, they would only be happy to get rid of her.

"After Isabelle, there are the surrounding areas. He will infuse them with his madness until their heads explode like wildfire. All that will be needed is a spark." Sophie-Anne continued, her face twisting in loathing. She gave a short chuckle. "And those in doubt of his power? He will have Sookie, and when the rumor starts spreading that he can walk in the sun…-"

"… he will turn into a god." Eric said, finishing her sentence as he stared into vacant space.

There was a knock on the door, making both vampires stir and correct their positions. The door opened to reveal one of the many guards that Eric had seen enveloped in the shadows of the estate.

"The King requires your presence, Sheriff." he said, holding up the door.

Eric gave Sophie-Anne a final grave look before he turned and walked out of the library. Her stare into his back was so intense that he was surprised it didn't cause a burn.

The sound of wicked laughter and the strong scent of blood hit Eric as he approached the lounge. The room was dimly lit by the fire in the ornate fireplace. Facing it was a seating area consisting of several loungers and divans, most of them that were now occupied. The group of vampires had been joined by a number of young and attractive humans, and the scene that met Eric wasn't a social gathering as much as it was a feeding orgy. His eyes moved from one body to the next; fangs, bruised skin and crimson stains. He saw Bill on his knees by one of the divans, feeding from a brunette girl. Lorena was watching him with a passed out and very pale Hadley cradled in her lap, caressing the girl's fair hair between her fingers, grinning like a hyena with her lips drenched in blood. Over by the fireplace, Talbot was being courted by two half-naked young men. The shady male vampire with the British accent was driving a knife across the tanned flesh of a moaning woman's inner thigh, licking the blood as it poured out of the cut. Eric stared at the decadence. They were absolutely insatiable. Animals, and nothing more. Russell had been sitting close to Talbot, but when he noticed Eric entering the room he got up, motioning for Eric to follow him.

"Sheriff, please." he smiled. "Walk with me."

Eric joined Russell and the two wandered side by side out of the lounge, into a far stretching hallway that led further into the estate. It was decorated with invaluable paintings and the wood-paneled walls had embedded glass cases, containing collectables in pristine condition, from so far back into history that Eric was at a loss when he tried to identify some of the objects.

"Did you have a nice chat?" Russell asked, turning to Eric.

"She is beautiful." Eric said. "But she's essentially a basket case with a bratty attitude. A rather odd choice of a wife, if I may say so."

Eric watched Russell in the corner of his eye, smiling in discreet triumph as his statement produced the desired effect. Russell raised his eyebrows at Eric's boldness, only to completely alter his expression with a smug grin.

"She's a pawn." he said. "A high-maintenance one yes, but still merely a pawn."

The hallway ended in a circular room with a massive chandelier in the roof. A guard was standing close to the wall, silent and unmoving like a piece of furniture, and neither of the vampires paid him any attention as they approached a large double-door.

"I trust that you have noticed the increased number of weres in your area?" Russell said, opening the doors for them.

"I have." Eric answered shortly.

He followed Russell into the most overly sized office he had seen in a long time. If the desk hadn't been there, he would have mistaken it for a trophy room. There was a genuine set of medieval battle-armor standing in a corner, and the glass cabinets that covered the walls were filled with ancient trinkets and jewelry.

"They're mine." Russell continued. "I have employed them for centuries. They are simple-minded but fierce, and if you feed them properly they will remain loyal. Much like dogs, really."

He gestured for Eric to sit down in the chair in front of the desk, as he himself took a seat in the grand velvet fauteuil that overlooked the office. Eric sat down, knitting his hands in his lap as he watched the vampire in front of him. This thin, balding creature that had lived thrice as long as Eric and now was King of the biggest area in Northern America. He wondered just how many kingdoms he had seen rise and fall, and how many bloody conflicts throughout history that were of his design.

"I've had a slight issue lately though." Russell said. "They had little trouble gathering an unwilling vampire and bring him to me; but they have yet to succeed in collecting a lone, human girl. A small-town waitress, at that."

"Would that be Sookie Stackhouse?" Eric asked, his voice devoid of emotion. "Mr. Compton's pet?"

"Mhm, yes." Russell said, wrinkling his nose. "You know of her?"

The old vampire's tone was heavy with greed. He wanted her bad, and he didn't even bother to conceal it. He wanted to drain her, lock her up and drain her again. Eric clenched his jaws. He would hurt him long before he hurt her.

"She's… special." Eric said, forcing his words and pleading that Russell wouldn't detect it.

"Undoubtedly." Russell answered, seeming unfazed. "I brought Compton here mainly because of her, but he has proven to be utterly useless. I only keep him around because it makes Lorena less insufferable. She tends to get awfully cruel when she is unhappy."

Eric had seized to listen. As Russell spoke, he had cocked his head a little to the right, revealing the object that sat in the cabinet directly behind him. Eric would have recognized it from miles away. It was a delicately crafted brass crown; untouched by the thousand years that had passed since it had been ripped of his father's head by a dirty werewolf paw. The final piece of the puzzle fell into place. Vindictiveness had a color; and it shot through Eric's vision like a white hot light. Slowly, he turned his gaze to Russell again. _Det var du, din jävel, _he thought. _Det var du… _

"What I'm asking you, Mr. Northman, is if you would be so kind and bring her to me?" Russell said, oblivious to Eric's reaction. "There is a generous reward in it for you."

Eric's voice was cold and professional.

"Certainly." he said. "You'll have her after sunset tomorrow."

* * *

Swedish translation:

_Det var du, din jävel. __Det var du… _= It was you, you bastard. It was you…

* * *

**A/N: Again, so sorry for the wait! This chapter took on a life of its own, stretching out so far that I decided to split it. This means two things; next chapter will come faster than you think, and the lemons that I promised will be extra juicy to make up for the split. See you soon! Love, EF.**


	8. Here we go again

Sookie lowered the skirt of her sundress gently, wincing a little bit as the fabric slid across the scalded areas on her thighs. The skin there had taken on a strong shade of red and was stinging furiously. She wasn't blistering yet, but it was only really a matter of time. She sighed shortly as the pain echoed through her legs. Tonight had been the second time in her waitress career that she'd spilled hot coffee over herself. The first time had been due to lack of experience coupled with over-eagerness. This time, it had been because her mind was simply too crowded to allow her to perform even routine tasks. Sookie stared at her naked toes, her cheeks throbbing dully as she recalled the recent events.

After Pam had joined her and Jessica, Sookie's first action had been to try and get her interested in Bill's secret stash and the information she had obtained by uncovering it. Her efforts had been in vain. Pam had barely even raised an eyebrow, and when Sookie had urged her to call Eric about it, she had cut her off instantly and coldly. She'd told her that if this information was of any importance at all, Eric would already be aware of it, and the discussion had ended then and there. Sookie had then tried calling Eric herself, the traditional way, only to find that his cellphone was turned off. As the dawn approached, the physical and emotional strain had caused Sookie to fall asleep on the sofa, leaving the two vampires to their own. Her sleep had been heavy and dreamless. When she woke up, the sun had already set. All the time she'd spent with vampires had finally turned her nocturnal, which was ironic considering her previous addiction to the sun. She'd found Pam parked at the kitchen table deeply focused on her Blackberry. Sookie didn't know where she had slept but her outfit was as impeccable as the night before, as if she hadn't moved an inch. Jessica had been awake too but hadn't lingered very long before she took off to meet up with the dark-haired vampire she'd danced with at the Fangtasia concert. She had been excusing herself abundantly, but her anticipation had been apparent and Sookie had assured her that she didn't mind her going.

Left alone with Pam, it had taken Sookie little time to realize that she simply couldn't stand remaining in Bill's house as things were and she had rushed off to Merlotte's, with Pam following her like a swift but reluctant shadow. Sookie's plan had been to distance herself from all the unanswered questions by burying herself in work, which had only resulted in her now burned thighs. She'd insisted that she wasn't badly injured and that she could keep on working, but Arlene wouldn't hear any of that and had promptly sent her home. The new waitress - Holly was her name - had given her a homemade ointment to put on and before she knew it, Sookie was back at Bill's mansion, the last place in the world where she wanted to be right now.

Sookie let her fingers slide against the skirt of the dress, her teeth digging into her lower lip. The dress was in a yellow floral pattern on a white bottom, and it had been one of Bill's favorites. The thought granted Sookie a mixture of disgust and confusion. She no longer had any reason to believe anything Bill had ever said to her, since their whole relationship was based on lies. She had read his logbook over and over, trying to make sense of it. But the last few pages had been ripped out, probably by the person who had caused the mess in the study, and the last note was dated a couple of days before she met Bill. Sookie's cheeks burned as she contemplated Eric's theory; that Bill might have planned for the Rattray's to beat her bad enough to almost kill her in order to tie himself to her, maybe even hired them to do it. A few weeks ago, she wouldn't have believed it for a second, but everything was different now that she'd seen this hidden side of Bill that she had been oblivious to the whole time. What tormented Sookie the most though, was that she didn't have any idea _why_ Bill had done all this. Looking through the study, it was clear that he had targeted her because of her supernatural abilities, but Sookie had turned the room upside down and she still hadn't found anything explaining _why_ they were so important. Obviously, her mindreading skills could be of use to vampires, but were they really worth all this trouble? Bill had mentioned that her blood was delicious, more so than most. Was that all it was? Was she some kind of delicacy unheard of to most vampires and therefore considered a collector's item? Or did it have something to do with the possibility that she hadn't taken in fully yet; that she was in fact some sort of _fairy_? And for the love of fudge, who was "S.A"?

Sookie's train of thoughts was halted by the sound of Pam's heels pattering across the floor downstairs. She listened, but the steps died down and when nothing else was heard she lost interest and instead let her eyes rest on her coffee-stained garments that were spread out on top of Bill's bed. Whatever she might think of Pam, there was no denying that her presence made her feel safe; and that had probably been Eric's intention. As she thought this, Sookie became aware that even thinking the blonde vampires name was now enough to make her heart to do an extra leap. _Gosh, I really am a lost cause, aren't I? _she thought. Smiling wryly, she went over what Pam had said to her the night before, as she'd already done an infinite number of times. If she was to trust Pam – and Pam had always been brutally honest – Eric might be in love with her. The possibility made parts of her feel happy in a weird, girly way. She could not recall ever feeling like that towards Bill, and it was both thrilling and unnerving. To be honest, she was sick of vampires and the dangers she got in by being with them, and she didn't exactly desire to be in love at the moment, especially not with one of them. What she desired however, was Eric. She wanted him perhaps more than she'd ever wanted anything else, and there was little she could do about it. As Sookie went through her handbag for Holly's ointment, she found herself wishing that he was alright out in Jackson and that he would return soon, preferably with some useful information. She hoped that he hadn't gotten into too much trouble, given his temper and how infected his relation to Operation Werewolf was. Pam had refused to talk about it, but chances were that the werewolves were after Sookie for the same reason that Bill had been, and Sookie wondered if she was right in assuming that Eric already knew that.

Sookie unscrewed the lid of the small jar and took a whiff of the ointment. It smelled sharply of dead flowers, making her wrinkle her nose. She had just decided not to use it when the roar of an approaching car was heard from outside. Moments later, the entrance doors opened and she once again heard Pam's heels, now exiting the house. Agitation rising within her, Sookie turned around and started running down the stairs. Her bare feet moved swiftly over the old floors that stilled smelled of soap after her and Jessica's cleaning. As she came down into the hall, Sookie threw a glance at the door that led to Bill's study. There was a kitchen chair in front of it that she had placed there in some kind of childish protest. Shrugging, she kept on moving. Pam had left the doors open and the light from the hall was escaping out into the night. As she came up to the doorway, Sookie halted in a huff.

A Corvette, blacker than the night itself, was parked on the driveway with the rear facing the house, ready to take off. Eric and Pam were standing just below the stairs. A wave of warmth shot through Sookie upon seeing Eric, but it was soon replaced by apprehension as she noticed how tense he seemed to be. He was wearing a grey short-sleeved shirt along with matching jeans, and Sookie got the weird feeling that the outfit wasn't his, only borrowed from someone. He was discussing something with Pam in that odd, melodic language that Sookie had heard them use before on occasion. Pam appeared abrasive, shooting Sookie several cold glances as they spoke. But then, Eric said something short and filled with poignancy, at which Pam nodded and gave Sookie a final look before she took off in a blurring speed. Sookie tried but failed as always to follow the movement with her eyes, and as she moved her gaze back to the porch again, Eric was already right in front of her. His eyes were strangely vacant, as if his mind was covered by a sheet of ice.

"Let's go." he said shortly.

"What…? Where?" Sookie managed.

Instead of answering her question, Eric simply wrapped his right arm around her waist, causing her to yelp as he started to carry her down the stairs. She tried to wriggle her way out of his grip, but it was like trying to budge a mountain. His grasp wasn't hard enough to hurt her, but firm enough so that she couldn't do a single thing besides flailing her limbs around.

"Eric, wait! Let me go!" she yelled.

She hit the blonde vampire's leg with one of her kicks, only causing herself pain. Eric looked down at her, slowing his pace but instead tightening his hold.

"Don't think for a moment that I won't force you, because I will." he gritted between his teeth.

"I believe you." Sookie growled, her face darkening as all her pent up frustration rose to the surface. "But you're underestimating just how much of a pain in the ass I can be!"

She howled the last part, and she didn't know if it was her words or her volume, but either way Eric decided to put her down. She backed away from him until her bum connected with the rear of the Corvette that must be his. Eric stood silent, watching her as she regained her breath. The light from the house behind him made him appear even taller than he actually was. It didn't seem like he was going to harm her, and it wasn't exactly anger that he radiated, though he was clearly wound up about something. Sookie's chest cringed. This wasn't at all how it was supposed be; it was not how she needed things to be. As infuriated as she was by Eric behaving this way towards her, she still felt her blood swaying from his touch; the burns on her thighs only serving to intensify the throbbing in her lower body. Also, Eric's gaze upon her made her extremely conscious of the fact that she in her haste had forgotten the new pair of panties upstairs on the bed, and therefore wasn't wearing any. _Damn him. _Sookie pressed her lips together. Regardless of her own feelings, what she needed to do right now was to disarm Eric. Trusting Pam, Sookie had a major part in him acting irrationally.

"Look," she said, leaning against the car. "I'm sorry for being a bitch the other night, it's just that…"

_My feelings for you are so strong that they scare me,_ she thought, but she was neither able nor willing to tell Eric that for the time being. Instead of finishing her sentence, she took a deep breath, locking her gaze with Eric's. He had raised his eyebrows slightly but apart from that his expression was as deadpan as before. Nevertheless, he was waiting for her to continue.

"If there's going to be anymore adventures, I need to know. I'm tired of people keeping things from me." she said, her voice steady. "I'll come with you Eric; but not without knowing the details."

Though Sookie realized that Eric could easily ignore her request (he was a 1,000-year old vampire sheriff for crying out loud) she put faith in the connection she thought had grown between them. Eric didn't say anything right away. He looked like he was having an inner debate, though it was as always hard to tell with him. The air around them was dense in a way that reminded Sookie of the night that she had let him into her house to wash up. This time though, there were no crickets, only the silence of the night. Finally, Eric spoke.

"Will you keep that sweet mouth of yours shut?" he said, his face just a little bit softer than before.

"I will do my best," Sookie said, blushing slightly without any real reason. "but as you know; I can't give any guarantees."

Eric seemed to contemplate this for a second. But then, he started walking up to her.

"Fine." he said, the tension in his shoulders decreasing but not fading completely. "I need you to listen now, and listen well, because time is something that we don't have right now."

Sookie nodded. Eric stopped an arm's length away from her, and yet his close presence made her whole body tingle. She unconsciously rubbed her thighs together as he crossed her legs in a way that was supposed to be casual, keeping her face straight.

"I followed the werewolf tracks," Eric said, "and they led me to Russell Edgington, vampire King of Mississippi. He has recently taken an interest in you; the reason being the same that originally caused Bill to pursue you. That reason is because you're…-"

"A _fairy_." Sookie filled in, her throat dry. "My blood… it has fairy in it, doesn't it?"

Eric looked perplexed.

"Yes." he said, a wrinkle settling between his brows. "How did you know that?"

"I found the… research that Bill has been doing on me." Sookie said. "It's extensive. It fills up a whole room."

Eric let out a short chuckle, shaking his head.

"Classy as always..." he muttered. Focusing on Sookie again, his gaze turned sharp. "Then, you also know why that is so valuable to vampires?" he said.

"No." Sookie said, crossing her arms. "He left that part out."

Again, Eric seemed to hesitate and Sookie had to try her hardest not to simply plead for him to give her some answers.

"According to legend, vampires and fairies co-existed once." he said, taking care with each word. "But when vampires discovered that drinking fairy blood allowed them to walk in the sun; they allegedly drove them to extinction."

A black hole started to form in Sookie's stomach, though she was still only beginning to grasp what this was all about.

"No one has seen anything resembling fairies for centuries now, and most believe them to be a myth." Eric continued. "I did too, but then I had a taste of your blood."

Sookie's eyes grew big, her heart almost still in advertency. Eric tilted his head.

"Sookie, you are a living breathing proof that fairies exist." he said. "Bill has been able to move unharmed in the sunlight after having your blood, and so have I."

"So my blood is, what, like a sunscreen for vampires…?" Sookie said, hardly able to believe her own words as she spoke them. "Is that why Bill wanted me?"

"Bill was sent after you on orders from the former vampire Queen of Lousiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq." Eric said. "She used to love sunbathing as a mortal. I don't know why he never delivered you to her, only that he was supposed to from the beginning."

"Oh fudge…" Sookie mumbled.

Her head was spinning and she put her hands on the car behind her to steady herself. Eric watched her quietly for a moment.

"Sookie, there's a point; and I need to get to it." he said.

Sookie looked up at him. At least he was acknowledging that this was hard on her.

"I know." she said, blinking a couple of times. "Please do."

"The were I killed was sent by Russell to bring you to him," Eric said. "and he wants you for much more than just being able to feel the sun again. He is extremely old and powerful, completely mad, and what he wants most of all right now is war."

Sookie furrowed her brow. "War…?"

"He is an extremist in that he loathes humans and would prefer to have you living in fear of us, like in the old days." Eric said, his voice deep. "He has been amusing himself by gathering an underground society of like-minded, weres included. If he wants to, he can just nudge the conflict that has been brewing in many places, and the consequences would be dire. You saw what happened in Dallas. There will be slaughter, mass-turning, anarchy… And with your blood as his secret weapon, Russell will gain more followers than he could dream of."

Sookie shook her head, a cold shiver running down her spine. What Eric said sounded so distant and strange, but yet he was convinced to the point where questioning him seemed meaningless. She watched him anxiously, swallowing hard. Eric's eyes had become veiled now, as if he was gazing into a memory.

"Also, Russell Edgington is the leader of Operation Werewolf." he said slowly. "It was on his orders that my entire family was butchered. He is the vampire that I've spent an entire millennia searching for."

Sookie finally grasped completely why Eric was so wound up. _Of course he was_.

"Are you going to kill him?" she said.

Something in Eric's expression turned solid like stone.

"I don't know how yet, but yes, I will kill him." he said. "I agreed to bring you to him in order to gain his trust."

"You did what?" Sookie gaped. "After what you've told me, shouldn't I be staying as far away from him as possible?"

Eric surprised her by moving forward, placing his hands on her hips. Sookie gasped as he lifted her up, placing her on the trunk of the Corvette, his touch still firm but gentler now than before. He moved in between her legs, his fingers curling slightly around her waist and Sookie felt her anxiousness being completely drenched by raw, unmasked arousal. It frustrated her, but at the same time she knew deep down that she didn't want things to be any different. Her lips parted as Eric's shadow fell on her. His eyes were the same arctic blue that she knew so well and yet his gaze was now burning.

"Trust me." he said heatedly. "Russell will not dare hurt you; you are much too valuable. And rest assured, I will dispose of anyone who tries."

"I'd prefer it if you didn't go on a killing spree." Sookie said, her cheeks throbbing. "But if things are the way you say they are, something must be done."

Eric didn't respond, but as silence fell between them, Sookie couldn't help but read some matter of gratitude into his expression. He leaned close, placing his cool lips on Sookie's forehead and she closed her eyes, breathing in, her blood thundering in her ears. Her arms were heavy as she put her hands on Eric's back, feeling his huge shoulderblades beneath her palms. Eric's grip around her hips tightened. Sookie peered down between them and was met by the sight of his erection, causing a smooth but rather significant bulge as it strained his jeans. If she hadn't been moist before, she certainly was now. Eric's left hand started stroking its way down, just like her body was begging him to do and Sookie shivered. He caught the hem of her dress, pushing it up, moving steadily closer to her mound that was just inches away from him, bare and unprotected… but as his fingers touched the burn on her thigh he stopped, looking up at her with a puzzled expression.

"It's nothing…" Sookie mumbled.

The flash of Eric's fangs startled her slightly, and though there was almost no light they still gleamed in that way that always made Sookie feel a little weak. Before she had guessed what he was about to do, Eric brought his wrist up to his mouth, piercing his pale skin with a slick noise. His blood running in a small trickle, he resolutely put his wound against her now bare thigh. It would never seize to amaze Sookie how a vampire's skin could be cold when the blood was so warm. A huff of air escaped between her lips as Eric moved his wrist across her burns, her skin tickling as they started to heal. She knew that it wasn't possible but yet she felt like Eric's blood was entering her, doing all sorts of wonderful things to her, making her own blood dance, placing a firm wet heat between her legs. By the time Eric removed his wrist, Sookie's heart was fluttering madly and her nipples were so hard that they could undoubtedly be seen through her dress. Their eyes locked. Eric's face was dark with restrained lust. He was holding himself back, perhaps for her sake, perhaps because time was escaping them, but if she didn't have him now Sookie knew she was going to lose her mind once and for all…

Without giving it extensive thought, she took hold of Eric's still bleeding wrist, bringing it up to her lips. She closed them around his wound, preventing it from sealing. Sucking a little, the hot liquid came pouring down her throat and Sookie's eyes fell shut from the sensation. Eric groaned, pulling her close to him, the bulge in his jeans brushing against her aching nether region. Sookie hauled at his shirt with her free hand as she drank. Tasting Eric's blood was completely different from what she remembered; and in a way, this was the first time. Back in Dallas, she had focused on the bullets, forcing away any sensation that his blood might have given her. But now, letting him in; she was completely overwhelmed by how it made her feel. It stirred her arousal to the point where she couldn't do anything but spread her legs helplessly as Eric pushed her skirt all the way up. The sound of him undoing his pants reached her vaguely through her daze, and as he pulled his wrist away from her, her lips were swollen and throbbing. Licking the few drops that remained on them, Sookie met Eric's gaze, watching his expression twist with the force of his fire, the attraction between them sizzling like electricity in the air.

"Eric, please… fuck me." Sookie breathed.

Something resembling a smile crossed Eric's lips, only to be replaced by a grimace of pleasure as he pulled her forward, onto him, impaling her on his hard shaft. Sookie gave a half-choked cry, a tremor shooting through her. She was so wet and wanting that he fit into her without much effort, and still she was as always taken aback of how big he actually was. Shallow breaths escaping her, she managed to wrap her legs around Eric's waist, her hands clutching at his shoulders as he started moving, so deep into her already that the sensation forced the air out of her lungs. There was no easing into it this time, no refinement, but she didn't care because this was how she wanted him, deep and hard, harsh and gentle at the same time… Her blood was in flames, her wetness convulsing in pleasure as Eric conquered her over and over, thrusting into her at just the right angle and her mind went blank as she held on to him, her heart and soul soundlessly screaming his name.

-.-.-.-

He was besieged by lust and something else that he could not place. As Eric held Sookie tight, this something else was coursing through him violently, drowning out everything that weighed him down. He thought of the countless others, how their fleeting warmth had left him colder than before. And now Sookie; her heat embracing him completely, sheltering him even now as his world was crumbling. The look in her eyes; not the bathetic glow of an inflated ego, but the ardor of a mate… a lover. Closing his arms around her, caressing her hair with his fingers, he groaned as her tightness twitched around him, pulling him in, forcing him deeper still, her moans like music in his ears. He could not get enough. _She was the only thing he could not get enough of_.

-.-.-.-

Sookie gasped and moaned, wrapping her arms around Eric's neck for support. He was quickening his pace now, his hardness brushing roughly against her sweet spot with every smooth stroke. Through it all, their eye-contact remained, and Sookie felt Eric's pleasure mounting as he watched her shivering with her own, dragging her closer and closer towards her release. She wanted it to last forever, but she knew that she wouldn't be that lucky, especially not as Eric brought his mouth to side of her neck, placing a searing kiss there. His fangs only skimmed her skin, never sinking down and she wanted to tell him that she needed him there; she wanted it so badly… but before she could do that, Eric changed his position slightly so that his pelvic bone rubbed against her swollen clit as he moved, and it was all over for her. Her orgasm came hurtling from her core like a wrecking ball, sending violent surges of pleasure in between her thighs, making her fidget and drawing nonsense from her lips as it went through her. She hid her face against Eric's chest, feeling him embrace her even tighter, a low moan escaping him as her contractions pulled his seed deep into her. Sookie closed her eyes, panting, reveling in the aftershocks as Eric dipped his mouth into her hair that was now a little bit moist by sweat.

The night was as still as it had been when Sookie stepped out on the porch. Eric's chest was solid against her face. He was cold, though some of her heat seemed to have rubbed off on him. Slowly, Sookie began descending towards earth again. Doing so, she realized the probable reason why Eric hadn't taken her blood this time, even though he had wanted to. Where they were going, she was most likely going to be in need of all the blood she could spare. A streak of fear crossed her chest thinking about it, but it was soon paired with the firm stubbornness that was a personality trait of hers and would surely lead to her undoing one of these days.

"I wish there was another way."

Eric spoke softly into her hair, as if he had guessed what she was thinking. Sookie lifted her head to look at him, finding nothing but sincerity in his expression as their eyes met again.

"So do I." she said. "But truth to be told, I'm really not in the mood for a civil war right now anyways. Also, you kept your part of the deal, and I intend to keep mine."

There was a brief silence between them again. Eric moved his fingers gently through the hair at the back of her neck and Sookie felt the final trace of her anxiousness melt away, leaving place for a solid calm. She was beginning to feel that she would be alright no matter what, as long as she was with Eric. It was a foolish notion, but yet it was as real to her as the air she was breathing.

"Time to go then." Eric said, his words firm but his voice definitely more at ease now than before.

Sookie had no time to reflect on this before Eric put his arm around the back of her knees, again starting to carry her towards the front of the car, the blood that lingered on her thighs staining his shirt.

"Now wait just a little bit," she cut in. "I can't go like this! I am not visiting no king – insane or not – without shoes or underwear."

Sookie could have sworn that the look that crossed Eric's face was a little amused.

"We'll pick up something along the way." he said, opening the door on the passenger side, putting her down lightly on the seat.

Settling with this, Sookie made herself comfortable, crossing her still weak legs as Eric got in, her blood still racing all over from what they had just done. As they started moving, fast enough to have scared her half to death if it had been anyone other than Eric driving, she felt a weight being placed on her left thigh. Glancing down, she noticed Eric's hand and cautiously put her own hand on top of it. The streetlights painted their faces as they came out onto the open road, and Sookie was filled with the strangest feeling of allurement. They were undercover, on a secret mission that would have made Bonnie and Clyde proud. _Partners in crime._ Sookie smiled faintly, watching the ancient blonde vampire in the corner of her eye. She found that she rather liked that thought.

-.-.-.-

* * *

**A/N: Took a little longer than you thought, huh *blushes*. Well, there were several boring reasons why, but I'm hoping that the chapter was (again!) worth the wait.**

**About next chapter; there will be one, I just don't know when. I think it's more fair to both you and me to put it like that, rather than making promises that I end up not being able to keep. With season 4 now upon us, I will probably do something to accompany it, so keep a look-out for me :) And as always, thank you so much for reading.**

**Much love, EF**


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